


Dark Swan Redux

by DushkuHasDibs



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Camelot, Dark Emma Swan, Dark Swan, F/F, Gaslighting, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, Mulan Rouge, Past DragonQueen, Slow Burn, Swan Queen - Freeform, red warrior, season 5, season 5 rewrite, season five rewrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-05-27 16:59:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 62,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6292531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DushkuHasDibs/pseuds/DushkuHasDibs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remember the trailers for season 5A that looked so awesome...but then had nothing to do with anything that actually aired? ARGH! Season 5 rewrite: what does love twisted and corrupted by darkness look like? Contains a Dark Emma, Camelot in the twilight of its years, and Maleficent. Sloowww burn Swan Queen endgame, established Red Warrior/MulanRouge. Canon thru season 4. COMPLETE.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

              There are degrees of darkness.

              Tucked safe in our beds, we turn out the lights at night and fall asleep in what we call the dark. In reality, there is almost always some light—from the light down the hall, from a streetlamp outside, the blinking dot of a cell phone charging. Our eyes adjust, and we can see, enough at any rate to find an additional blanket or a glass of water or other such comforts.

              Then there is the darkness away from cities and towns, in the middle of a forest, our world at night with only the stars above, mere pinpricks of light…but still, light in the face of eternal darkness.

              But then there is the Dark.

              If you weren’t able to move, to open and close your eyes, to touch your own face to convince yourself that the hands you couldn’t see were in fact there, you could go mad from it. Were you alive or dead? How would you know? Perhaps your panicked breathing could give you a clue, or the racing heartbeat you heard in your ears, the heartbeat you had to convince yourself was yours.

              Emma Swan woke up in the Dark.

 

…………………………..

 

              Regina stared at the dagger lying in the road, the place where, moments ago, Emma had vanished without a trace. Save, of course, for her name across the Dark One’s dagger.

              Regina felt her heart clench.

              Mary Margaret looked stricken. “She…she…”

              David grabbed his wife’s arm; he turned to Regina. “She gave her life for you.”

              “Don’t you think I know that?” Regina whispered. Her eyes went to Henry; her son looked like he didn’t know what to feel.

              Hook managed to shake them all out of their stupor—he rushed forward and snatched up the dagger. He held it aloft. “Dark One!” he snarled. “I summon thee!” But nothing happened.

              “Give me that,” Regina growled, “before you hurt yourself.”

              Hook ignored her and again shouted, “Dark One—I summon thee! Emma Swan!”

              In a whirl of purple smoke, the dagger materialized in Regina’s hand. “This isn’t a toy, Pirate. You know nothing of this magic.”

              He whirled on her, his eyes a blaze. “Give that to me.”

              “No.”

              “How dare you say I know nothing of the Dark One? I pursued the Dark One across realms for centuries!”

              “And with so much success,” Regina said coolly.

              “Regina,” Mary Margaret warned.

              She ignored her. “You know plenty about anger and obsession, I’ll give you that. But you have never understood magic, and this? This isn’t the time for a pissing contest. This isn’t something to get wrong.” Regina gazed down at the blade in her hand; she clenched her teeth. “This is Emma.”

              Henry had wandered over to her; she put an arm around his shoulders and held him close. “Isn’t the…the person whose name is on the knife,” Henry said, unable to say _The Dark One_ , “don’t they have to obey the dagger?”

              “Yes, they do,” Regina said.

              David swallowed. “So if she didn’t answer Hook’s summons…?”

              Regina looked back at the Charmings. “It means she’s not in Storybrooke.”

 

............

 

             

              The ground shook.

              Birds took to the sky to escape the tremor, while animals ran to higher ground; all of them, save one. Her nostrils flared, and she raced down into the valley to find the source of the disturbance. Her fur bristled at the unfamiliar smells.

              While the trembling had stopped, clouds now rolled in to take what had been a sunny day to a different direction entirely. A cold wind raced down from the mountains, and the valley grew unnaturally quiet. She sniffed furiously at the ground, but couldn’t pick up a trail of any kind—there had to be something underground, but everything was starting to smell the same. It just smelled…wrong. Her ears pricked up; in the distance was the sound of hoof beats. She raised her head and shook out her fur, hoping to shake the sense of foreboding away as well.

              Mulan slowed her horse to a stop and jumped off. “You scared the life out of me,” she barked.

              Ruby shook herself once again and took on her human form. “I’m sorry. I’m still used to working on my own.”

              The other woman thrust her red cloak at her; Ruby slipped it on for protection against the elements.

              “If I can learn to work as a team, so can you,” Mulan said. “Did you find anything?”

              Ruby shook her head. “No. Something’s wrong, but…I don’t know what it is.”

              “It didn’t feel like a curse.”

              “No.” Ruby pulled her cloak tighter. “But it’s something like that. Something big.”

              Mulan held out a hand. “Let’s ride back together.”

              Ruby frowned. “I can run faster.”

              Mulan raised an eyebrow. “The operative word being ‘together,’” she said with a wry smile. “I want you close in case there’s more to come.”

              Ruby considered the hand before her, as though she would have made any choice other than the once she made, which was to accept the offer; they rode back up the mountain, Ruby wrapped in her cloak and her arms wrapped around her lover’s waist.

 

...............

 

              They made their way back to the Charmings’ loft.

              “How long has it been since a new Dark One was…respawned?” Robin asked.

              “Hundreds of years, at least,” Regina said. “I’m not even sure how old Rumplestiltskin is.”

              “And I’m not sure why we’re letting the Evil Queen control the Dark One’s dagger,” Hook growled. “Am I the only one who sees what a bad idea that is?”

              Regina whirled on him. “What is your problem with me?”

              “Are you joking? The woman I love is now the Dark One. The woman who tried to kill her, multiple times, is now holding almost unlimited power in her own magical hands.” He jabbed a finger at her. “The darkness tried to take _you,_ Regina, so I don’t think you should be the one to control Emma.”

              “She’s not even _here,”_ Regina bit back. “I’m not controlling anyone! I am holding a knife, an object capable of magic, something I know much more about than you do. Forgive me if I don’t trust it in your incapable hand.”

              “Stop it!” Henry shouted. “We have to figure out what to do.” He narrowed his eyes at Hook. “My moms believe in each other, otherwise Emma…she wouldn’t have done what she did. We’re a family.” He gazed back up at Regina. “Mom…we have to save her.”

              “We will, Henry.” She pulled him close and glared over the top of his head at the pirate.

              Mary Margaret stepped forward and took a breath. “If Emma’s not here…she must be back in our realm. Can we all agree on that, at least?”

              “That makes sense,” Hook muttered.

              “Do we have any way of getting there?” David asked. “Magic beans? A hat? What about a scroll, or…”

              “There’s nothing,” Regina sighed.

              “We always think that,” Henry said, “but then we find another way. What about the well? Could it be enchanted?”

              “We should ask Belle,” Mary Margaret said. “There must be more information in the library. With all of us working together we’ll come up with _something.”_

              “I’ll meet you there,” Regina said. “There’s something I need to do first.”

 

………………..

 

              “Now isn’t a good time, Regina dear. You never did learn not to wake a sleeping dragon.”

              Regina stood on the front steps of the home Maleficent now shared with her daughter. “I’m desperate.”

              Mal crossed her arms, smooth and unhurried. “You must be, since I owe you nothing. Well, nothing good.”

              Regina had the decency to look away. “I know.”

              “You made my daughter turn into a dragon for the first time, _alone,”_ Mal hissed. “As if her life wasn’t confusing enough.”

              “Mal, I’m sorry…”

              Maleficent stepped onto the porch and pulled the door shut behind her. “You most certainly are not. You got exactly what you wanted then, and you’re only trying to get what you want now. I’m not interested, Regina. You’re lucky I want a life here with Lily—her world, but with our magic. Storybrooke is the only place for both of us. And if I reduce you to ash, the villagers may riot in protest.” She looked Regina up and down. “I must say, I never saw that day coming.”

              She turned to go inside, and Regina realized she wouldn’t be given the time to explain herself at all. She blurted out: “Emma is the Dark One now.”

              Maleficent’s hand stilled on the door.

              “She’s vanished,” Regina continued. “Probably back to the Enchanted Forest.”

              “Why do you care?” Mal asked, her back to her.

              Regina’s hands clenched into fists. “Because the darkness came for me. She saved me.”

              Mal turned to her. “It was supposed to be you?”

              Regina nodded.

              “So now, the entire reason my child was taken from me to begin with has become a moot point? After everything we’ve lost, the savior chose the darkness.”

              “I need to get her back, Mal. I have to save her. For Henry, for…”

              “I say the people of our realm have been yanked back and forth because of curses and counter-curses and the Charming family so many times we just need to stay put. If the Dark One, whoever it is, is back in a land far away from us, so much the better. Be grateful, Regina. You won.”

              Maleficent slammed the door.

 

.............

 

              “How is he?” Mary Margaret asked, her hand gentle on Belle’s shoulder.

              Belle shook her head. “I don’t know. He hasn’t…left us,” she said, biting her lip. “But there’s no sign he’s going to wake up, either.”

              “Are you ok here, helping us?”

              “Yes.” Belle reached into her shirt and pulled out a locket; it was glowing the faintest shade of red. “Mother Superior gave me this. It glows warm with Rumple’s life force, so I’ll know if there are any changes. But…” she sighed. “I don’t need to consult my books to tell you that you need an awful lot of magic to create a portal in this world. And it usually needs to be channeled through an object, otherwise it’s essentially impossible to control.”

              David placed a hand on Henry’s shoulder. “What about Henry’s idea of the well? It’s been used as a portal before.”

              Belle pulled a large, dusty tome off a shelf. “Hmm. From what I understand it was more of a door.”

              David frowned. “Isn’t that the same thing?”

              “Not exactly. Try to think of the connection between worlds as a funnel—the entrance, the portal, is the large end. At the other, narrow end is the door, one-way, that spits you out of the funnel.” She paused. “But the well is quite the magical hotspot, isn’t it? Perhaps we can use that to our advantage. Good thinking, Henry.”

              Henry smiled.

              “There must be plenty of magical objects in Gold’s shop,” Mary Margaret said. “Maybe we could…combine their power, or something.”

              Belle drummed her fingers in thought. “Possibly.”

              “It’s been done before,” David pointed out. “Like with Jefferson’s hat.”

              “Or Mom’s mirrors,” Henry piped up.

              They stared at Belle hopefully. She sighed. “Those objects were so powerful they had traces of magic even during the first curse. I can’t think of anything in the shop like that—something that has original magic from the Enchanted Forest, and never lost it.”

              They all turned at the sound of Regina clearing her throat. The former queen was wearing something the others rarely saw on her—an anxious look. “There’s nothing in the shop,” she said quietly, “but there are…some things that might work. Unfortunately, our best bet has no interest in helping us.”

              “No interest?” David said. “It’s a person?”

              “Maleficent,” Regina said. The others exchanged a look of realization as she explained, “Her magic was the key to guarding various treasures of mine when I first created Storybrooke; she was my prisoner, but she never lost her powers.”

              Mary Margaret stepped forward. “You spoke with her?”

              “Barely. She has no desire to cross realms to find a Dark One, no matter who it is. Maybe especially because it’s Emma. We’ll have to…” she frowned. “Where’s Hook?”

              David shrugged. “He was upset. He didn’t come with us, said he wanted to be alone.”

              A feeling a dread washed over her. “Yes, but alone where?”

              “We left him at the loft,” Mary Margaret said, puzzled. “Why?”

              Regina clenched her teeth. “I left the dagger there.” She vanished in a cloud of purple smoke.

 

…………..

 

              It wasn’t there anymore. In that moment, had they been standing in front of her, Regina felt she could have killed the Charmings.

              Objectively, it wasn’t their fault of course. She was the one who decided to leave the dagger and not bring it to Maleficent’s. She had no idea the Charmings were infatuated enough with the pirate to leave him in their home unattended. _She should have known._

              But where had he gone? The dagger was relatively useless without a Dark One to control, and they hadn’t figured out a way to open a portal to the Enchanted Forest yet…

              Regina swore and slammed her hands on the counter. “That bastard,” she spat. _Hook must have a way._ He always did end up in whatever land he chose—he just couldn’t leave until he had the dagger, too. And now she had to find him, fast, before he vanished with their only chance of saving Emma.

              When the Charmings caught up with her, their apartment was ransacked. “Regina!” Mary Margaret exclaimed, “What are you doing?”

              “I need something of his. Hook’s,” Regina shouted. “There must be something here, something he gave Emma, or…”

              “Or me,” Henry said. He raced up the stairs to his room and returned with a small telescope. “How about this?”

              “Yes,” she breathed. “Yes, perfect.”

              Mary Margaret tried again: “Regina, what is going on?”

              “Hook’s taken the dagger,” she said. She cupped the telescope in her hands and closed her eyes. “I think he knows a ways to our realm; he’s going after Emma alone. We have to find him, before…” She opened her eyes and glanced at her son’s worried face. “We just have to find him.”

              In a matter of moments, the telescope was activated by the locator spell. Regina grit her teeth. “Hang on.”

 

……………………

 

              She appeared seconds later with Mary Margaret in the woods near her vault; her eyes searched frantically in the darkness for the blasted pirate.

              “There he is,” Mary Margaret breathed, “but what…what is he doing there of all places?”

              Regina looked where Mary Margaret pointed; Hook was at a grave, behind the headstone, digging.

              It was Neal’s grave.

              Regina thrust a hand out and suddenly the pirate was suspended in mid-air. He twisted and swore; as they approached, she could see his eyes were wild.

              “You’ll pay for using magic on me, witch.”

              She clenched her other hand into a fist and his face contorted in pain. “You were trying to bury the dagger. You wanted to hide it, until you found a way to use it yourself.”

              He said nothing; he was too busy trying not to scream. Mary Margaret had gone around the headstone to retrieve what Regina thought would be the dagger, but instead…

              “Oh my god.”

              Regina frowned at her tone, but didn’t take her eyes off the pirate twitching in the air. “What? What is it?”

              “He wasn’t burying something.” She stood up and brushed the dirt from her knees; she was holding a small leather pouch. “He was digging it up.” She stared at Hook. “How long have you had these?”

              He glowered. “Every pirate needs an escape hatch.”

              “That’s not an answer.”

              Regina chanced a look at Mary Margaret, who was pouring the contents of the pouch into her hand. Her eyes went wide at the sight. “…Beans. You’ve had magic beans for years.”

              Hook twisted again, trying to fight her magic. “For an emergency. The savior going dark qualifies. She needs my help.”

              “She needs all of us,” Mary Margaret said with an angry edge to her voice. “You can’t vanish to the Enchanted Forest with our only means of helping Emma. I know you love her, but we _all_ love her, and our only hope of saving her is for all of us to work together. We need more than your determination, Hook.” She looked at Regina. “We need someone who truly understands dark magic. We need a plan. And we need to stay calm. If we lose our heads…the Dark One has the advantage no matter what we do, and won’t hesitate to kill us.”

              Hook was still straining against Regina’s magic in mid-air, teeth clenched. “Emma won’t hurt me. She loves me. And as you heroes always say, that’s the strongest magic of all.” His last words came out strangled as Regina tightened her hold on him, her own face twisted in rage at his total lack of comprehension.

              She felt a gentle hand on her arm and glanced at Mary Margaret; she saw the look of understanding in the other woman’s eyes. “Regina, be careful.”

              “He’s a liability, Snow. He’s just going to interfere with any plan we try to make, he’ll get someone killed.”

              “I know. But I’m realizing that you brought me here with you to make sure you didn’t kill him, right?”

              Regina glowered at the pirate. “A decision I’m regretting.”

              “We’ll bring him to the police station and lock him up. We’ll have the beans and the dagger…and we can start our rescue plan without any distractions.” She squeezed her arm. “Please, Regina. Let’s not waste any more time.”

              Regina nodded and lowered the pirate toward the ground, not enough that he could stand, but enough for Mary Margaret to reach into his cloak and withdraw the Dark One’s dagger. “Let’s get him to the station, then, and get back to the others.”

 

……………

 

              Ruby couldn’t sleep.

              An unfamiliar smell was invading her senses to the point that she had shifted to her wolf form without realizing it. But now her hackles were raised, her fur standing on end, and those things just didn’t have a satisfying human equivalent.

              She paced around their small cabin, checked that Mulan was sleeping peacefully, and then let herself out. She trotted in circles around the house, nose at first to the ground and then in the air. The scent was everywhere, and it baffled her. It wasn’t stronger in one place and fainter in another; it was ever-present. She sat in front of their home and peered with sharp eyes into the woods.

              Nothing.

              If this was just how their world smelled now, it was a very bad sign. It was too sudden and too extreme for it to be anything but magic, and with the deep sense of dread that went with it, it could only mean dark magic was at work. Ruby wondered if it had to do with the Dark One; as far as she knew, Rumplestiltskin wasn’t in their realm, but his was the most powerful dark magic she could think of. Not even the Evil Queen in her darkest days was as frightening as he could be.

              Her tail twitched. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense—this change in their world involved the Dark One in some way. Ruby shook out her fur and checked around their home once more before going back inside. Her realization had turned her dread into more of a sense of foreboding; they could prepare for this. They had a place to start, at least.

              She shifted back into her human form and stoked the fire before slipping into bed; she wrapped an arm around Mulan, who pressed closer to her in sleep, and Ruby tried to fill her senses with her warrior instead.

 

…………………

 

              Granny’s Diner had filled with people who were prepared to save the savior.

              “We can’t all leave Storybrooke,” David was explaining. “There are plenty of people here who will still need protection, and at least two people who need to be guarded at all times.”

              “Besides,” Mary Margaret said, “we don’t know what we’re going to encounter on the other side. A large group could actually hinder us instead of help, though we appreciate all of your support.”

              Leroy glowered, arms crossed. “I’m going with you. I’ve been left out of too many adventures. I can’t sit here again just hoping you’ll make it back—I have to help you.”

              “All right,” Mary Margaret conceded, “but…”

              Her words faded when the door jingled open and Maleficent stepped in. Silence settled over the packed diner. Her eyes searched curious and uneasy faces until they settled on one. “Regina. I need to speak with you.”

              Regina stood up from her booth where she’d been sitting with Robin. “All right.”

              “Outside, please.” Maleficent turned and left without another word.

              Regina tried to maintain her composure as she passed through the crowd and met Mal at a little table out front.

              “I will help you,” the sorceress said.

              Regina blinked. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

              Maleficent raised an eyebrow and did not repeat herself. “When Lily found out what had happened to Emma she…well, she reacted differently than I expected. She didn’t see it as Emma choosing darkness, as I did. She pointed out that the Dark One’s magic just happened to be the enemy this time, and what Emma really chose was you. Saving you, no matter the consequences.” She sniffed. “And that’s what a hero does.”

              Regina didn’t say anything, she just waited for Mal to continue.

              “Emma and Lily are linked through no fault of their own. Emma had nothing to do with Lily’s… _curse_ , really…to always make the wrong choice. But she had everything to do with saving her from that life, and bringing her back to a place where she would be understood and accepted. She gave us a second chance to be a family. Lily reminded me of all of that. I’m sorry I bit your head off, before.”

              Regina’s expression was pained. “I deserved it, Mal. And more.”

              Mal shook her head. “You and I could get lost in what we truly deserve, Regina. But our children deserve better.” She cleared her throat. “So how can I help?”

              “Well…” Regina glanced back over her shoulder to where Mary Margaret and Granny were watching them through the window. “As it turns out, that hideous pirate was hiding a cache of magic beans, so opening a portal will be easier. But returning…”

              “Mmm,” Maleficent said. “You’d rather not kill any more people that you love.”

              Regina grimaced.

              “It’s possible to enchant a portal to keep it open.”

              “Yes, but if we fail we don’t need to make it any easier for the Dark One to get back here,” Regina sighed. “We should have enough beans to return on our own but…if something should happen to us, I’d want you in Storybrooke.”

              “Me?” Maleficent scoffed. “Protecting the town from darkness? Surely there’s someone else.”

              “There isn’t. You and I understand this power better than the others.”

              The other woman shifted in her seat. “That doesn’t mean we can contain it.”

              “No,” Regina conceded, “but we have a better chance than anyone else. And if she makes it through me…” She couldn’t finish.

              Mal looked at her with understanding. “I see. Then it won’t be a rescue mission anymore.”

              “No,” Regina said quietly.

              Maleficent drummed her fingers on the table between them. “This is a lot of trust you’re placing in me, Regina. I thought you would need a spell or an amulet.”

              “If you’ve got them, I’ll take those too.” She hesitated. “Mal…I didn’t expect it, but…Storybrooke has become my home more than the Enchanted Forest ever was. The only good things that have happened in my life have happened here. It sounds like you and Lily want to be happy here too. I have to do what I can to save Emma, but our home needs to stay safe, from Hook, from Zelena…and yes, from the Dark One.”

              Mal studied her carefully. Her gaze wandered once or twice to the townspeople in the window. “Well,” she said quietly. “Don’t keep the peasants waiting. They’re going to love that you’re leaving the dragons in charge.”

              She stood; Regina did too. “Thank you.”

              Maleficent stepped close and took Regina’s hand. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”

              “I…of course.”

              “I mean it, Regina. Rumplestiltskin was one thing—Emma Swan is quite another. You care about her; her darkness will be all the more dangerous for it.”

              Regina didn’t know what to say. She felt Maleficent press something into her palm.

              “A dragon’s tooth. It will amplify your protection spells. Keep it close.”

              “I will. Thank you.”

              Mal leaned in and kissed her cheek.

 

………………………

 

              Several hours later, the group of would-be heroes was gathered at the well. It had taken some time to convince the masses that they would be safe in Maleficent’s care, but when Belle and Granny each agreed to assist the sorceress the arguments started to lose their weight. Besides, the heroes had a plan now—the Apprentice had told them to find Merlin, hoping his magic could stop the Dark One. They would seek him out, and hope Emma hadn’t found him first.

              A handful of the merry men had agreed to “camp” in the Charmings’ loft to care for both Roland and young Neal while their parents were away. Regina, Mary Margaret, and Robin each carried a magic bean, and the rest were secretly left with Granny.

Henry, David, and a very insistent Leroy made up the rest of the rescue party. They waited with the others as Maleficent held a magic bean above the well. “Are you ready?” she asked them.

They were.

The bean was tossed into the well. Regina held Henry’s hand as Mal uttered a spell to stabilize the portal, giving them their best chance of arriving where they could do the most good. Green and white lights swirled and crackled as the portal to the Enchanted Forest opened and carried them away.

 


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has kudosed and commented:) Chapter Three is on its way, but I am on vacation so there will be a longer delay than there was for chapter two!

              It didn’t take long to get used to the screaming; she thought that it would. At first it had chilled her to her core, but she had become so desperate to hear or see or feel or smell anything, anything at all, that soon it became her world. Some screams were closer, while others sounded far away; it gave her the idea that she was in a larger place than she thought, even though she was still alone. The screams, she knew

 

              _How did she know_

              came from no one who was still alive. They were the piercing, unearthly screeches of the dying, uttered under the worst kinds of duress. But when they stopped, she lost her sense of space—she could have been in a box buried underground, or the bottom of a canyon, or on the moon. She had no idea.

              So it didn’t take long to get used to the screaming.

 

………………

 

              “Henry,” Regina gasped as they landed, hard, in the Enchanted Forest.

              “I’m here, Mom. I’m ok.”

              She held him close before looking around and taking a head count—they were all there, a little bumped and bruised, but fine. Robin held out a hand and helped her up.

              Leroy was already searching ahead with David, while Mary Margaret was turning in place, trying to get her bearings. There weren’t any obvious clues; they were in the middle of the woods, without a house or a road in sight. Regina checked that she still had the Dark One’s dagger strapped to her hip, under her jacket.

              Robin frowned. “Now, I’m quite familiar with the forest in our realm, but I must say…I’ve never seen trees this tall.”

              The others looked up. He was right—several trees had to be at least a hundred feet taller than most. They were much thicker, too.

              “Are we in the right world?” Henry asked, nervous.

              “We have to be,” Regina said.

              “This is our world,” Mary Margaret insisted, “I just have no idea where.”

              Shouts drew their attention; David and Leroy had found a road. They made their way through the brush and down a hill to them. “Which way?” Leroy asked.

              But it all looked the same.

              Henry sighed and gestured to the east. “Let’s go that way. It doesn’t really matter, does it? The worst thing that happens is we find out we have to turn around.” He started walking. “At least we’ll be moving.”

              David scratched the back of his head. “He has a point, I guess.”

              Regina lingered behind them, her hand on the dagger’s hilt. Robin turned to her, a puzzled expression on his face. “What is it, my love?”

              She was tempted, is what it was; tempted to use the dagger and call Emma to them and have it out then and there. But that wasn’t the plan. In fact, it’s what the pirate would do. She grimaced. Besides: “I can’t feel anything,” she said. “With Gold there was always the faintest vibration, like a hum, running through the blade. But I don’t feel anything.”

              He kissed her. “It’s too early to worry. The portal sent us where we’re supposed to be. We just have to have a little faith. Besides, things could work very differently with Emma.”

              “I know.”

              “Come on,” he said gently. “Let’s catch up to the others.”

              As the sun started to set, they still hadn’t come upon a village or a brook or even a passing cart. “We should think about making camp for the night,” David said.

              “It’s too soon,” Mary Margaret said. “If we give it just another hour then…”

              He placed a hand on her arm. “Then it will be dark, and harder to make a safe place for us. For Henry.”

              She closed her eyes, resigned. “All right.”

              She went hunting with the light that was left, while Leroy and Henry built a fire. David and Robin were gathering dry brush for bedding, though they’d each brought a small bedroll.

              And Regina made sure camp was safe.

              She walked in a wide circle around the others, feeling for dark energy in the forest and finding none. But when she went to cast a protection spell, she frowned. She looked at her hand and attempted to create a fireball—nothing.

              Her distress must have been on her face, because when Mary Margaret returned with a rabbit she went right to her. “What is it, Regina?”

              “My…my magic. It’s not working.”

              “What do you mean?”

              “I don’t know, exactly. I can still feel it within me, I just…can’t do anything with it.”

              Mary Margaret’s eyes went wide. “Is it…could it be…?”

              Regina shook her head. “It’s not Emma. If the Dark One was here, we would know.” She pursed her lips. “I think something must be blocking it, and not just mine; I can’t feel any magic out here, and there’s always something in the Enchanted Forest. I mean, it’s in the name.”

              “Do you think we’re safe here?”

              An uneasy feeling settled in Regina’s gut. “I think we’re as safe as we can be.”

 

………………

 

              The meat from the rabbit stretched their food supply a bit, but not much; they would need to find a village soon, or else they would have to spend their days hunting for food instead of Merlin or Emma.

              Henry sat next to his mother, both of them gazing into the fire. “What if we don’t find her?” he asked quietly.

              Regina wrapped an arm around him. “That’s not an option, Henry.”

              He leaned his head on her shoulder. “But…what if we can’t save her?”

              She thought back to the moment when the darkness had tried to take her; she had gasped at the sensation of ice water coursing through her veins at the same instant her skin felt as though it were blistering under hot flames. She thought she was going to be torn apart right there in the street, with Robin and Henry and everyone watching helplessly, a final judgement on all of the horrible things she had done as the Evil Queen.

              But then Emma was there, saving her. She didn’t even hesitate. She had pulled the darkness out of Regina and welcomed it into herself, vanishing in a vortex of pain into another dimension.

              Regina closed her eyes at the dull ache in her heart; she kissed the top of Henry’s head. “That’s not an option,” she whispered.

 

……………………

 

              “Wake up.”

              Someone was shaking her. Regina opened her eyes but was disoriented by the darkness; the fire had been extinguished.

              “Regina.” It was Robin, his voice hushed. She felt Henry stirring next to her.

              “What’s happened?” she whispered.

              As her eyes adjusted, she could make out the rest of their camp. David and Mary Margaret had their weapons drawn. She didn’t see Leroy.

              Robin helped her to her feet. “There are riders in the woods. Leroy’s gone ahead to investigate, but we should scatter.”

              Henry was at her side, his pack already on his back. “Mom?”

              “Go with your grandfather,” Regina said, crushed that her magic couldn’t protect him. “Stay close to him.”

              As Henry jogged away, Robin and Regina crept down the hill, keeping close to the trees. They were startled by the sound of running; they could just make out Leroy racing down the road, drawing whoever was chasing him away from camp. But then came the thundering sound of hooves; they darted behind another tree just as seven riders tore past them, easily running down Leroy. He put up a fight but was quickly surrounded, subdued, and hauled up onto one of the horses.

              “We have to do something,” Robin said.

              “What? We don’t know what kind of weapons they have. I don’t have any magic. We don’t know what they want—it can’t just be the dwarf.”

              Before Robin could counter, a very familiar voice shouted for the riders to stop. Regina swore to herself as Mary Margaret stepped into the road, arrow nocked and leveled at the riders.

              “Who are you,” Mary Margaret shouted, “and what do you want with my friend?”

              The riders all turned to face her, but stayed where they were. All except one, who took his horse at a slow walk over to where she stood. Regina couldn’t make out the words they exchanged, but to her confusion the rider suddenly dismounted, and Mary Margaret lowered her bow.

              “What in the hell is she doing,” Regina murmured.

              At the lead man’s signal, the other riders also dismounted. Three of them lit torches. She saw David appear from the woods with Henry, which prompted her to reveal herself and Robin as well. As they got closer they could see the dark red cloaks of the riders, and that the lead one speaking with Mary Margaret was a woman; a beautiful woman with long, chestnut hair tied back from her (very regal) face. Regina immediately wondered at the woman’s heritage.

              “I was just apologizing,” the woman said to them. “It is quite unusual for strangers to appear in our kingdom, and our history has taught us to strike first and ask questions later.” She gestured to Leroy, still out cold on one of their horses. “He will be all right.”

              David cleared his throat. “And um…what kingdom would this be, then?”

              Mary Margaret turned to him, excitement glittering in her eyes. “Camelot,” she breathed.

              “Camelot?” Henry chirped. “Like, _Camelot_ Camelot? Arthur and…and Merlin?”

              _Could it be that easy?_ Regina wondered. Her skin crawled with suspicion. It must have shown on her face as well because she felt Robin place a comforting hand on her back. She tried to unclench her teeth.

              “Yes,” the woman said, an odd tone to her voice. “Mary Margaret says you have come to our land seeking Merlin. You must have used powerful magic to get here.”

              “Yes,” Mary Margaret said, “though it doesn’t seem to be working now.”

              Regina wanted to shake her for her friendliness and tendency to reveal their hand to anyone.

              “Merlin’s magic is the only kind that works in Camelot,” the woman said quietly. “He has always protected us in that way.”

              Exasperated, Regina barked: “Who are you?”

              The other woman’s eyes raked her up and down; Regina didn’t flinch. “Forgive me, my lady. My name is Kelemon. I lead King Arthur’s knights.”

              “What about Sir Percival?” Henry asked. “Or Sir Kay?”

              Kelemon nodded. “They are still with us. But Camelot is…a unique kingdom. Time works differently for us, ever since Merlin…” She stopped.

              David stepped forward. “Since Merlin what?”

              Kelemon put a hand to her horse’s bridle and sighed. “It is best that you see for yourselves. Please, come back with us. Give us a chance to heal your friend, and to assist you on your quest.”

…………………………

             

              _She could see shadows. The movement caught her by surprise; she thought she was only imagining the figures looming in the darkness. But soon they became as regular a part of her world as the screaming. The shadows had no faces, no real form. Sometimes she convinced herself that she recognized one of them, but she never did._

_She was always cold now. When she tried to look closer at a shadow there would be a sharp, frigid spike of pain to her heart, but she never stopped trying. She had to make sense of her new world._

 

……………………………

 

              Regina’s castle had been a sight to see; it was enormous, cold, and served as both castle and fortress. But the castle before them was something else entirely.

              It was like something straight from the pages of a storybook.

              It was large without being ridiculous, and unless her eyes were deceiving her it actually _shone._ The brick and stonework had an otherworldly quality to it, a sparkle that couldn’t come naturally but meant that all of Camelot radiated a welcoming warmth Regina had never experienced before. Colorful flags and banners waved from towers and turrets. And while their camp had been chilly the day before, the flowers and trees around the castle were in full bloom.

              Regina pulled off her jacket and continued to stare.

              At the head of the group, Kelemon was smiling. “This way,” she said.

              The main gate clattered open and they entered the grounds, where the market was thriving despite the early hour. Fruits and fabric, books and baubles, anything you could need was for sale. The gentle notes of a lute could be heard on the air.

              “Wow,” Henry said.

              The other riders dispersed with the horses as Kelemon led them inside. She pulled aside a young messenger, whispered in his ear, and he went scampering off ahead of them.

              “This could be a very short quest for us,” Robin murmured to Regina.

              She felt the weight of the Dark One’s dagger at her hip. “I don’t know. I don’t trust the simplicity of it all. There’s a catch somewhere.”

              He nodded. “But perhaps we can be grateful that at least we weren’t searching for Merlin for weeks.”

              “Yes, but _his_ people finding _us?_ In less than a day?” Regina shook her head. “The other shoe is going to drop. Hard.”

              They were led to the throne room, a wide, open expanse with two identical thrones carved from dark wood at the far end.

              “I’ve sent word that King Arthur has visitors from another land,” Kelemon explained. “He won’t be long. New and unusual things have never failed to intrigue him.” She gestured to Leroy, in David’s arms. “In the meantime, shall we send your friend to our healers?” Servants appeared through the doorway, no doubt also alerted by the messenger, to take Leroy away. At that, Mary Margaret looked anxious.

              “I should go with him,” she said.

              “I’ll go,” Robin volunteered. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “This concerns your daughter; you should be here. I’ll watch over Leroy.”

              Mary Margaret held him tight. “Thank you, Robin.”

              Regina watched him leave with the servants and dwarf, then put an arm around her son.

              Kelemon was right, they didn’t wait long at all. A door opened behind the twin thrones and they all dropped to one knee as King Arthur made his way in.

              “Please,” rumbled his deep voice. “Stand.”

              They did, and Regina took in the sight of the legendary king.

              He looked to be in his sixties, though she knew first-hand that the age of Enchanted Forest citizens wasn’t an easily guessable thing. He had a thick grey and white beard that matched his hair, and she was surprised to see he was not wearing a crown. He wasn’t particularly handsome, but he had a presence you couldn’t ignore—the comfortable confidence of a man secure in his position.

              Regina liked him immediately.

              “Kelemon,” Arthur said, a bemused twinkle in his eye. “I’m told you found these people in our woods.”

              “Yes, Your Majesty.”

              He turned his gaze on them. “Now how is that possible? Merlin’s magic has protected us from outside eyes for centuries.”

              David blinked. “Centuries?”

              Arthur smiled and leaned back in his throne. “Oh yes, my child. Camelot was destined to be on this earth for one brief, shining moment…but after our brightest days were behind us, Merlin granted us the gift of time. He always had a way with time; he lived his life backwards, after all. Don’t try to understand it,” he said kindly to Henry, as his face scrunched in concentration. “Time moves slower in here than it does out there, so that we might last a little longer, and be able to right some of our wrongs. In any event…” King Arthur eyed each of them in turn. “The fact that you are here means that one of you has powerful magic. Or did, at any rate, before you arrived in our kingdom.”

              Regina cleared her throat and stepped forward. “I do, Your Majesty.”

              “And who are you?”

              “My name is Regina.”

              “Hmm.” Arthur looked to Kelemon. “Wasn’t there a queen named Regina? In King Leopold’s time.”

              “Yes, Your Majesty. She was known as the Evil Queen. Rumor had it she killed her husband, the king.”

              Regina’s heart felt heavy. She couldn’t look at her son, who moved closer to her.

              “Ah yes,” Arthur said. He leaned forward. “Merlin warned me about you.”

              She blinked in surprise. “He…he did?”

              “Oh yes. He said one day the Evil Queen would find her way to Camelot with the power of the Dark One, and should we help her, all would perish.”

              Regina closed her eyes in despair. She heard the sound of a sword being drawn; she opened her eyes to see Kelemon with her blade in hand.

              “Now, wait just a moment,” David began.

              “She’s not the Evil Queen anymore!” Henry said. “She’s just my mom. She’s changed.”

              “Merlin is never wrong,” Kelemon said.

              King Arthur stood, sighed heavily, and descended the stairs. He held his hands behind his back and studied the group before him. “Merlin is never wrong,” he agreed. “However…Merlin is also rarely straightforward. Tell me, Queen: did you finally kill Snow White?”

              Regina swallowed. “No. I…”

              “Um, actually…” Mary Margaret raised her hand. “That’s me.”

              Arthur looked between the two women. “You traveled here together to find Merlin? As friends?”

              “As family,” Henry said. “Your Majesty, we were told that Merlin could help us with the Dark One. The darkness tried to take my mom…” he gestured to Regina. “But, my other mom, Emma…she…”

              “She gave her life for mine,” Regina said quietly. “The darkness took her instead. She’s Snow White’s daughter, she gave birth to our son, and…Henry’s right. We’re all family. And we have to get her back.”

              The entire time they were talking, Kelemon’s sword never wavered. But now, Arthur put a hand on her blade and gently lowered it. “I see now. Yes.” He turned and went back up to his throne. He leaned back and scratched his beard. “You have all changed each other’s fates. The Evil Queen is no more. The darkness did not take her.”

              Regina shuddered to think it had been prophecied that it would. “No, Your Majesty.”

              He nodded, satisfied. “Then Camelot will help you, Regina, in your fight to save your friend from the darkness.”

              Relief flooded through her; Henry threw his arms around her.

              “Your Majesty,” Mary Margaret said, “is Merlin here in Camelot? We have so many questions for him. We’d like to try to find Emma as soon as we can.”

              “Of course you would. But you must be tired, and hungry. Perhaps after a rest and a warm meal…”

              “Please, Your Majesty,” David said. He took Mary Margaret’s hand. “We mean no offense, but it is imperative that we speak to Merlin as soon as he is able to meet with us.”

              “Yes,” Arthur rumbled. He scratched his beard again. “Well, you see…the thing is…that’s the one part of the puzzle that doesn’t quite fit.”

 

……………..

 

              “He’s a bloody tree?”

              Robin stood in the doorway of Regina’s assigned chambers, his mouth agape. She sighed. “Indeed he is. He’s in the center of a large courtyard, and has been for a hundred years.” She threw open the wardrobe to see what her options were for clean clothing. “You can feel the magic almost _pulsing_ from the tree though; it’s quite impressive, even if it’s useless.”

              Robin looked at her, his face full of concern. “Is Henry all right?”

              Regina hesitated. “He’s…disheartened. As we all are. The Apprentice said Merlin was the only one with the power to destroy the darkness. And if that’s true then…well, we may have lost before we even started.”

              “You can’t believe that.”

              She didn’t say anything. She reached through to the back of the wardrobe and pulled out a slim fitting, vibrantly red dress.

              “Regina…”

              “I’m not giving up,” she snapped. “I’m not, I’m…I just need to think.”

              He entered her chambers and gently slid his arms around her waist. “You’re not in this alone, you know.”

              “You’d think the Apprentice would think it worthy to mention that his sorcerer had _died_ , wouldn’t you?”

              Robin sighed. “Maybe he didn’t know.”

              Regina doubted that, somehow. Irritatingly enough, she felt as though it were just a part of a puzzle, albeit one she had no patience for, especially when she didn’t know how much time they had before Emma succumbed to the darkness.

              “I’m going to get changed for dinner,” Robin said quietly. “Shall I return to escort you?”

              She nodded absently, and he left. She dressed herself in the red gown, felt the soft fabric grip and drape in ways she’d grown unaccustomed to in Storybrooke, but recalled only too well from her days as queen. Her heart ached; it had been a long time since she had been inside a castle and felt helpless.

              No one could say that the last time had ended well.

 

…………………..

 

              “You can’t hold me in this bloody cage forever,” Killian Jones spat from his cell.

              The target of his rage sat calmly at the sheriff’s desk, heels propped up, run-of-the-mill paperwork in her hand. “Of course I can,” Lily said; she couldn’t bring herself to sound even remotely sorry. “That’s one of my favorite things about Storybrooke—the old laws are the ones they follow. They basically locked you in the dungeon. You’re lucky Regina designed this one with windows.”

              Hook gnashed his teeth and slammed himself into the bars. It was one of Lily’s favorite things that he did; it was such an open display of uncontrolled hostility that would never have any effect on his actual situation. A temper tantrum, truly. She shook her head, wondering not for the first time what Emma Swan saw in him.

              Sure enough, he tired himself out, just as Lily was finishing up. She put away the stacks of noise disturbances and magical sightings (nothing of note, as usual) and switched off the desk lamp. All the while, Hook was watching her from his bunk.

              “You were Emma’s friend,” he said.

              Lily locked up the other office. “Yep.”

              “How can you do this to me? She needs me.”

              “To do what?”

              He went to the bars and leaned against them. “To save her. Before it’s too late.”

              Lily decided this time, she’d bite. “How?”

              He bared his teeth again. “I had a plan before the Evil Queen wrecked everything. You know she tried to kill Emma before?”

              Lily shrugged. “So did I. I thought you did, too. Maybe Emma just needs better people in her life.”

              “The Evil Queen killed her son—Emma brought him back to life with True Love’s Kiss. If it wasn’t for her, the lad would be dead.”

              “And yet,” Lily mused, “Emma saved Regina’s life by becoming the Dark One in her place. Right? I mean, it happened right in front of you, didn’t it?” She stepped closer to the cell. “Is that what’s got your knickers in a twist? The woman you love giving her life for another?”

              He glared at her. “Emma’s a hero. And I love that about her.”

              “Mmm. But she’s not a hero right now.” Lily felt her eyes switch to their reptilian gold as she stared into this Killian Jones. “And that’s what Regina is able to remember, and you can’t seem to accept: she is not the woman we love. She’s the Dark One.”

              Hook tilted his head. “We?”

              She ignored her admission. “She’s the Dark One, you moron. And if your plan was for true love’s kiss to undo the power of the darkness…” She shook her head. “You’re really out of your league.”

              “In case you’ve been under a rock, true love is the strongest magic of all.”

              Lily thought of this brute with Emma, and it made her skin itch. “Obsession isn’t love,” she said quietly. “And not all love is true…or even pure. Assuming you have true love with her puts her life at risk. Everyone else seems able to understand that, except for you, and that’s why you’re staying in there. Your ignorance is dangerous.”

              He punched the bars, bruising his fist; Lily was unsympathetic. She threw on her jacket and grabbed her keys.

              “You’re jealous,” Hook taunted from his cage. “Jealous of what we have. If you think a childhood crush could be more than that, you’re wrong. You could never fulfill her.”

              Lily kept the few warm memories of her adolescence with Emma to herself, feeling no need to correct him.

 

……………….

             

              _The shadows grew faces._

_But not eyes._

_Some looked like the son she thought she had, or used to have, many years ago._

_With recognition came blinding pain. But after years_

_…………_ or perhaps days………..

 

                                                                        _of pain, the rage soon followed. She didn’t want to hurt anymore. These shadows caused her pain, and it was time to stop them. Heat, white-hot, surged through her._

_She had hands again. She held them up; she could see them._

_And she could see the shadows._

_Power shot from her hands into the darkness and the faces of the shadows dissolved, dissolved, and their screams were so loud, and so close, and that was how she knew her cage was shrinking, shrinking, until her body was squeezed on all sides…._

………………………………..

 

              And in the middle of the Enchanted Forest, a portal opened, and a dark liquid pooled through and gained form—human form. The Dark One pushed back the hood of her cloak; the sunlight didn’t hurt her eyes.

              She could only see the shadows.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back from vacation! A shorter chapter than I'd like, but it was either this or a really, really long chapter lol and also a longer wait for posting--boo to that. Thank you all for reading, kudosing, and reviewing:)

            Dinner in Camelot was a fine affair.

            As guests, they were each announced as they arrived and presented to the court. But rather than being escorted to the dining hall, they were unexpectedly taken to a different table.

            The Round Table.

            Henry’s mouth dropped open as King Arthur explained: “We have much to discuss and strategize. This room seemed the most appropriate.”

            They each selected a chair around the Table but remained standing as new faces arrived: knights. Henry brightened at the red cloaks they wore even as he noticed the knights were much older than the ones he’d read about in his beloved books. If Merlin had stopped the quick progression of time for them over a hundred years ago…it looked like he had waited awhile to do it. However, the knights that entered were nothing less than intimidating, no matter how old they really were.

             Sir Percival was presented first, the shortest and leanest of the three. He had thin salt-and-pepper hair and a beard to match. His smile was the brightest.

             Sir Gawain was second—he bowed to each guest as he met them, and Henry had no doubt that the knight would remember their names. There was a glint in his eye that revealed a sharpness of mind.

             The last knight presented was Sir Kay—he was at least a head taller than Sir Gawain, with broad shoulders and barrel-chested. He did not smile, but somehow he didn’t come off as unfriendly. Cautious, perhaps. He was also Kelemon’s father, which Henry found fascinating. The next generation of Arthur’s knights, right in front of his eyes.

              Finally, the room grew quiet on the entrance of the queen. Henry swallowed at the sight of her.

              Guinevere was the same height as King Arthur. Her long, chestnut hair was streaked with silver, and fell loose in soft waves against a glittering purple gown. Henry snuck a peek around the table and was glad to see he wasn’t the only one from Storybrooke standing a little straighter.

             “Your Majesty,” Mary Margaret breathed. “It is such a pleasure to meet you, truly.”

              Guinevere’s smile was genuine. “The pleasure is mine. It has been many years since we had guests. Merlin’s protection spells have spared us, but…they did come at quite a price.”

              “Fortunately,” Sir Percival said, “the families within our walls are happy, their children safe.”

              Sir Gawain nodded. “It is a sacrifice we would make again.”

              Soup was presented to them, and wine was poured…even for Henry. He glanced at his mother, who raised an eyebrow at him. He nudged it away from his bowl.

              “My husband tell me you’ve come to Camelot seeking our tree,” Guinevere quipped.

              Across the table, David almost choked on his wine. As he reached for a napkin, Mary Margaret said, “The Apprentice didn’t tell us Merlin wasn’t human anymore.”

              The queen set her spoon down. “Then it must not be an issue.”

              His mother stiffened next to him. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, but how could that possibly be true?”

              Henry was afraid his mother had offended the queen, but Guinevere seemed unfazed. “I don’t know about the members of your party, but all of us in Camelot are only human. And over our many centuries we have learned…well…” She took her husband’s hand. “We have learned that we are quite fallible. But Merlin was not.”

              King Arthur squeezed her hand. “Guinevere is quite right. There is no greater magic in any realm than that of the Sorcerer. And if Merlin’s own Apprentice sent you to him in his current state…than it must mean he can help you. Even after death.”

              “Unfortunately,” came the deep voice of Sir Kay, “the riddle is yours to unravel.”

              “With our help,” Percival added. “We do have some experience with the Sorcerer’s ways.”

              “Merlin won’t let you down,” Gawain said. “And neither will Camelot.”

              Henry’s heart swelled at their words. The Knights of the Round Table were heroes even to other heroes; if they were willing to help, maybe his mom would be back with them before they knew it. He looked up at his mother, but she looked distracted; she was biting her lip, and pushing her food around her plate as the others continued to speak.

              “Mom?”

              She blinked and quickly put a smile on her face for him. “Yes, Henry?”

              “What’s the matter?”

              Before she could answer, Sir Gawain’s voice rose above the others: “Your daughter has become the Dark One? My condolences.”

              “But your quest for Merlin makes more sense now,” Sir Kay rumbled. “His magic is deeply connected to the dark powers.”

              “We know that he created the first Dark One,” David said, “by tethering the darkness to a human soul.”

              King Arthur cleared his throat. “As always with my dearest friend…it is a bit more complicated than that. Merlin…”

              Guinevere placed a hand on her husband’s arm. “Merlin wasn’t human,” she said quietly. “He is so old as to be ageless, timeless. Merlin has always been.”

              “He was born of the darkness…and the light,” Arthur said quietly. “He has command of both. Fortunately for our world, he chose the light, and banished his darkness.”

              “ _His_ darkness?” Henry repeated.

              Was he hearing them correctly? The world’s most famous and powerful sorcerer was actually…a kind of demi-god? Or a part of creation itself? Merlin, the White Wizard…was intimately connected to the Dark One. They were two halves of a whole.

              “Who controls the dagger?” Guinevere asked.

              His mother hesitated, not one to ever give up (or reveal) a position of power. “I do.”

              “Of course,” Guinevere mused. “You are the magician in your party, are you not?”

              “Of sorts.”

              “What is your connection to the Dark One?”

              His mother swallowed; she looked so uncomfortable that Henry was frankly surprised she hadn’t already excused herself from the Round Table claiming illness or exhaustion or something of the like. “That’s….actually…a very complicated answer,” she hedged. When the queen continued to wait patiently for an answer, she reluctantly continued. “The previous Dark One, Rumplestiltskin, was my…my mentor…in my own darker days on the throne,” she said. “He nurtured the magical side of the darkness my mother had always encouraged in me. And the current Dark One…” she glanced at Henry; he took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Suffice it to say, Emma saved me from the darkness more than once. And without her I wouldn’t have my son, Henry. I…I have to save her.”

              Henry could see the tears in Mary Margaret’s eyes at her words.

              King Arthur cleared his throat and exchanged a glance with Queen Guinevere; she nodded. “Merlin may be gone, but many of his teachings can be found in his books. Not all of them, unfortunately—he believed words to be more powerful than swords or magic, so he didn’t dare put all of his secrets in one place. However, what he did record we have kept safe in his tower. You are welcome to explore what remains of his magic. Hopefully you will find something to help you in your quest to save the Dark One.”

             

…………………………...

 

 

She sat on a rock in the forest for three days.

She felt no need to eat or sleep, but her desire to regain a sense of time was strong. She seemed to be back in the normal world: there was day, then night, then day again. It rained, twice. She saw no people, not even animals, but that was less of a concern. All that mattered was that the darkness no longer surrounded her.

It surged within her.

But that… _that_ she could control. She could see, she could feel; she had a body, and her memories…and her feelings.

She was angry. Where was her family? Her son, her parents, Regina, Killian…where was everyone? How long had she been gone? She ground her teeth together; she would never have allowed any of them to be missing for so long.

That gave her pause. What if she wasn’t the one missing? What if something had taken all of them in her absence? The savior, ripped from Storybrooke, so the forces of darkness could take over. That would not stand.

She pushed back the hood of her cloak and looked up—it was overcast, but clearly daytime. She would find a village, get her bearings, and get her family back. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath; she could smell the salt of the ocean, but it was miles away. _West._

She held up her hands and vanished in a cloud of grey smoke.

 

………………………..

 

              Merlin’s tower only had three thin windows and therefore no natural light to speak of; it was easy to imagine the wizard losing track of time and spending days studying and writing and reworking spells, with only the candles burning out to tell him time was passing.

              Regina was buried in a massive text with faded handwriting that went in and out of different languages. She felt the beginnings of a headache, but what she had felt earlier in the day kept her going.

              The Dark One’s dagger had started to…hum.

              She’d felt it at dinner, but didn’t want to address it at the table. There were too many unfamiliar faces, with their own agendas, and even though they sounded supportive and helpful…she had been the Evil Queen, and she did have the dagger. Regina couldn’t risk that Camelot would feel the same way that the idiot pirate had about her controlling the Dark One. But now she didn’t know if she should tell _anyone._ Did the dagger awakening mean Emma was close? Only Merlin’s magic was supposed to work inside the walls of Camelot, but if he was connected to the Dark One…

              Regina closed her eyes. _One step at a time._ It didn’t matter what it meant if they remained powerless. She took a deep breath and focused once again on the ancient tome in front of her.

              The others had books as well. Henry was pouring through one on the history of the castle, David had one on the different bloodlines, and Mary Margaret and Robin each had spell books. Hundreds more waited on the shelves behind them.

              “I don’t think these go back far enough,” David said.

              “They must,” Mary Margaret said. She pushed one book to the side and pulled out another.

              Robin rubbed his eyes. “It’s going to take forever to find what we need without magic. We can’t even do a simple locator spell.”

              Regina swallowed and thought of the blade at her hip; an idea started to form. “Why don’t you all take a break,” she said lightly. “Check on Leroy. Make a plan for tomorrow. I’ll keep going here.”

              Henry frowned. “But you can’t do this alone. You need our help.”

              “Of course I do, Henry. But if all of our eyes are crossing, we could miss something important.” Regina eyed the shelves with an air of authority. “I’ll be all right for a little while on my own. At the very least I’m fairly confident that I can weed out what we _don’t_ need.”

              Robin placed a concerned hand on her arm. “Regina…you’re going to burn yourself out if you don’t take your own advice and rest.”

              She placed a hand on his. “I know. I will rest, Robin, I promise you.” She looked at her son. “I promise you too. But right now…I want to be alone with the books. I’m hoping…” She shrugged. “I don’t know what I’m hoping. That they’ll speak to me or something, I guess. I know it sounds ridiculous.”

              Robin kissed her cheek. “It doesn’t sound ridiculous at all. But you’re not allowed to stay here all night.”

              “I won’t.”

              When they left (however reluctantly), Regina glared at the heavy volumes on the shelves. The candles flickered throughout the tower, casting strange shadows across Merlin’s even stranger collection of artifacts and relics. Regina bit her lip and placed her hand on the hilt of the dagger.

              It was warm.

              She withdrew it from its sheath and gazed at the writing on the blade. _Emma Swan._ Regina didn’t want to say her name aloud in case she accidentally summoned the Dark One, but she felt the other woman’s presence with every fiber of her being. She looked back at the books and held the knife aloft.

              It pulled in her hand. Regina followed.

              It was a very faint pull; if Regina overthought it, she would lose it, and have to refocus and start again, but after several minutes she was able to follow the dagger without her impatience getting in the way. It led her to a shelf full of animal skulls, potions long dried up in their bottles, and glass beads. There was also a box, behind all of that, with an old lock keeping it shut. The dagger tapped against the lock.

              “Okay…” Regina muttered. She reached out and grabbed the lock; the ancient thing crumbled in her hand. She pushed the other items to the side and pulled the box forward. With a hand on either side, she lifted the lid.

              Inside the box was a book.

              “Well now,” she mused. It was thin and small, bound with brown leather that was somehow still soft to the touch. When Regina removed the book from the box, the dagger stopped pulling.

              “Why do you keep this magic secret from your friends?”

              Regina gasped and spun around; the queen stood in the doorway, as relaxed as Regina was tense. “Your Majesty…”

              Guinevere stepped forward. “You are using magic, are you not?”

              Regina was clearly at a disadvantage. In as regal a manner as possible she said, “I went with a hunch. You’ve said Merlin’s magic is the only kind that works in Camelot. He was too powerful for that to not be true.” She held up the dagger. “But I felt this pull—and the darkness is Merlin’s darker half. His magic. So I decided to let him help me.”

              Guinevere looked impressed. “And it showed you the necessary book?”

              Regina glanced at the book in her hand, so slight compared to the rest of the library. “I believe so. It’s…” Her words died on her lips as she flipped it open. “…it’s blank.”

              The queen crossed to her and held out her hand; dumbstruck and frustrated, Regina gave it to her. Guinevere flipped through empty page after empty page. She placed it on a table and fixed her eyes on Regina. “You did not answer me. Why do you keep this a secret from your friends? Are they not trustworthy? Or is it you who we shouldn’t trust?”

              Regina’s temper flared. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, the answer should be obvious. I’ve traveled here with the parents of the Dark One who are blinded by their love for their daughter. The son I share with her can’t afford to get his hopes up. I’m also here with a dwarf who hates me and a man who…” she hesitated when she thought of the love in Robin’s eyes, and his confidence in her. She shook her head. “And a man who won’t believe I could ever do anything wrong, even though he knows my past. So tell me Your Majesty…which of them would _you_ confide in?”

              “None,” Guinevere said, surprising Regina. The queen settled into a chair. “But it does pose a problem for you, and possibly for your Dark One as well. How will you save her if you are secretly working alone, while the others believe you are a team?”

              “I’ll…I’ll figure it out.”

              “Haven’t you all worked together before?”

              “Yes. But…”

              “But?”

              Regina sank into the chair next to her. “Emma was always there. Leading us.”

              Guinevere’s voice took on a softer tone. “Do you feel you lack leadership? Weren’t you a queen?”

              Regina’s heart sank as she recalled villagers shaking in fear, hearts beating in her hand, and her own son’s eyes when he realized the truth about her. “I wasn’t a very good one. No. And never to these people.”

              “Why not?”

              “They know me too well.”

              “One would think that could only help you. Emma too.”

              Regina studied the queen before her; she could see the tiredness hidden behind sharp eyes. “Why do you care so much?”

              Guinevere drummed her fingers on the table, considering her answer. “I know the price of secrets. Someone I loved was driven from the safety of our kingdom and…and he perished.” She cleared her throat. “A different darkness descended on Camelot for many, many years. But Merlin granted us the gift of time…and in time, we rebuilt. We healed. Things are more precious to us now…and bittersweet.” She leveled her gaze at Regina. “And I sense you are the secret-keeper of your group. The others ask for help and listen with open hearts, but you stay silent to protect them. But I ask you, Regina…how have secrets treated you?”

              Regina clenched her teeth, angry that this woman seemed to see right through her. She thought of everything she’d kept hidden from her son, and how it was only recently that he’d truly started to forgive her. She thought of the deals struck with Rumplestiltskin.

              She thought of Daniel.

              “So they’ve not been kind,” Guinevere said gently. She reached out for Regina’s hand; Regina fought the impulse to push her away. “Tell your friends; it will serve you and Emma better in the end. I imagine she’s counting on you

Regina didn’t say anything; of course she was counting on them.

              As though reading her mind, the queen said, “I meant _you._ You say Emma always led the others. Who do you think she expects to lead now?”

              Regina looked away; she didn’t want to lead the others. She’d rather go alone—then her failures were her own. But she thought of Emma saving her from an angry town, and Emma backing her up in Neverland, and Emma following her into the woods after the Snow Queen (despite Regina’s protests). She thought of the savior’s words to her in her vault: they understood each other in a way the others never could.

              Queen Guinevere stood and handed Regina the thin book she had found. “I can see you care for her. Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Secrets cost Arthur and I our happiness. We were lucky; Merlin’s magic helped us save our kingdom and its people. If you let him, he’ll do the same for you.” With that, she left.

              Regina’s fingers traced the writing on the Dark One’s dagger as she gazed at the blank book before her.

              She sat until the candles melted down.

 

…………………………

 

              Mulan was finishing her drink when she heard the cacophony outside the tavern; men shouting, dogs barking, wood breaking as horses reared and broke away from their carts. She put a hand on her sword hilt and waited.

              This was supposed to be a routine patrol of the region. Ruby was convinced (as were many mystics in their realm) that the Dark One had returned to the Enchanted Forest. They were investigating villages found along major crossroads, hoping that travelers passing through would have any information for them, but so far no one had seen or heard anything helpful.

              The sounds of chaos continued outside. Just as Mulan decided her assistance was needed, a familiar face stepped into the tavern and looked around. Mulan’s mouth dropped open. “Emma…”

              The savior was wearing a white cloak and a troubled expression. She frowned at Mulan as though she didn’t recognize her.

              “Emma, it’s me. Mulan.” Emma’s eyes darted around the tavern before landing back on the warrior; the effect was a little unsettling. Mulan held up a hand. “Are…are you all right?”

              “So I am in the Enchanted Forest, then.” Her voice was flat.

              “Yes. What’s happened? Why are you here?”

              “I need to find my family. Something attacked us in Storybrooke, we were separated.”

              Mulan glanced outside; it was curious that Emma walked past the villagers without helping to settle their horses before someone got hurt. But if she was worried about her family… “Who attacked them?”

              “We were battling the Dark One. A portal opened. I…I woke up here.”

              The noise outside continued, and though she wanted to help her friend, Mulan couldn’t ignore it any longer. “Emma, sit down. Grab something to eat, you look exhausted. I’ll be right back.” She pushed her way out of the tavern.

              Carts had been overturned and dragged by frightened animals through the streets; some horses had broken free of their restraints, while others still strained at the ropes, the whites of their eyes showing. _What in the hell had them so frightened?_ Mulan grabbed a little girl right before a horse started kicking at her and tucked her to safety. Any dogs or other animals not tied to something had fled, leaving bewildered owners in their wake. When enough of the beasts were calm (or taken elsewhere), Mulan pushed her hair out of her face and made her way back to the tavern.

              Emma sat at a table in the corner, her drink untouched. Mulan slid in next to her. “You should eat.”

              “I’m not hungry.”

              “Well, when did you get here?”

              “I don’t know.”

              She didn’t sound like herself. Mulan was at a loss as to how she could help her friend. “Do you have a place to stay?” she asked quietly.

              Emma looked at her. “No. This isn’t my home. I want to find my family, and get them home to Storybrooke.”

              “I’ll help you,” Mulan said. “You can stay with me. Ruby and I have a cabin not far from here. Emma…” she hesitated. “Is the Dark One here? Did Rumplestiltskin follow you through the portal?”

              Emma gazed at something in the distance that Mulan couldn’t see. “The darkness isn’t tethered to him anymore. It tried to take Regina, before the portal opened. We chased after it with the dagger, but…now I don’t know where any of them are.”

              Mulan could tell more must have happened, but Emma was too exhausted to make any sense of it. She didn’t want to push until Emma had gotten a chance to eat and rest. Was the evil queen now the Dark One as well? She shuddered at the thought. Also disturbing was the idea of the darkness not being tethered to a human being at all, and just working its way through the realms. She turned her attention back to her friend. “We’ll find them. But first, let me take you home.”

 

 


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay! Here we go:)

Maleficent stalked through the halls of the hospital until she reached the smallest room at the end of a darker corridor. Her daughter was waiting for her.

“He’s in there,” Lily said, a note of irritation in her voice.

Mal peered inside. “My. He’s done quite a job of it, hasn’t he?”

“He’s insane. He should be in one of the padded rooms in the basement, like Zelena.”

“Perhaps. But I’m sure they’d find a way to talk to each other, and that could only end poorly for all of us. No, handcuffed to a bed wearing a hospital gown—I think that’s torture enough for Captain Hook’s fragile ego.”

Lily stared at her, aghast. “Mother…he slammed his head into the bars of his cell hard enough to knock himself out. He’s crazy.”

Mal sighed. “I know. But the others have some use for him, even if we can’t imagine what that might be.”

“They think he’s a hero,” her daughter grumbled.

“Well, lots of people in Storybrooke think a lot of strange things,” Mal said, straightening up. “But we promised to look after all of them, no matter how misinformed they may be. Besides, if we kill the Dark Savior’s boyfriend she might take offense.” She pushed her way into Hook’s room.

He tipped his head up as best he could to glare at her with the eye that wasn’t swollen shut. “You can’t keep me here.”

Maleficent gestured to his restraints. “Yes we can.”

“I broke out of your jail cell.”

“I know you believe that that’s true, which makes you rather insufferable. But the record will show that Lily opened the cell to allow medics to take you here—a larger cage. You will be our prisoner no matter where we have to keep you in Storybrooke.”

Hook yanked on the wrist restraints, to no avail. “I will find a way to break free. I won’t fail Emma.”

Mal rolled her eyes and glanced at her daughter; Lily remained in the corner, silent and glaring at the pirate. “Yes, well, while baseless promises seem to be enough to woo Emma Swan, for some reason, the rest of us shouldn’t have to suffer while we work to find actual solutions.” She held out a bottle—blue liquid swirled within it.

The pirate had the sense to look nervous. “What is that?”

Maleficent raised an eyebrow at him, amused. “Does it matter?” She emptied the contents over his face as he squirmed and shouted. Eventually, he stilled.

“What was that?” Lily asked.

“A sleeping potion, dear,” Mal said with a smile. “I feared that any guard we posted with Hook would free him just to get him to shut up, and honestly who could blame them? We don’t have time to worry about that.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me you were going to do that?”

Mal looked at her daughter. “Lily…do you trust me?”

Lily shifted her weight and stuck her hands in her pockets.

Maleficent’s heart sank the slightest bit. “It’s all right if you don’t. We’re…still getting to know each other, after all. It’s only that sometimes showing is much more effective than telling. It seems like a small thing now but in the heat of battle, stopping to explain something can cost you dearly.”

Lily crossed her arms. “I just don’t like feeling foolish.”

Mal stepped towards her. “I understand that feeling, I do. Please know that…I would never think you were foolish, no matter what.”

Lily nodded. Before anything else could be said, an alert came through on her phone; she frowned. “It’s Belle. She wants to meet us at Granny’s.”

“Does she say why?”

Lily shook her head.

 “All right then.” Mal grimaced. “God, I’ve seen more of these people in the last two days than I ever wanted to in my life.”

 “I do trust you,” Lily said quickly; Maleficent stilled. “It’s just…I don’t really have the best track record with that, so…I’m gonna ask questions, but if you can’t answer or…” she slipped her hands back in her pockets. “I trust you.”

Mal allowed a brief, hopeful smile to appear. “All right then. Let’s see what the librarian wants.”

 

……………………………………..

 

The next morning, everyone met in the courtyard under Merlin’s tree. Regina took a breath and presented her findings. Mary Margaret’s eyes went up. “Another book mysteriously appears to us.”

“Indeed,” Regina mused. “But this one was mixed in with the spell books. My belief is that Merlin enchanted it to protect against prying eyes in Camelot.”

David frowned. “What makes you think it’s enchanted and not just a blank book?”

Regina fought the urge to glare at him and said, “Because of how I found it.” She hesitated, and the others exchanged curious glances. She thought back to her conversation with the queen and plowed ahead. “The dagger led me to it.”

Leroy, fully recovered, jumped right in. “The Dark One’s dagger works here? In your hands?”

 “Leroy…” Robin said, attempting to put a hand on the dwarf’s arm.

But he yanked it away. “I thought that wasn’t possible. I thought you didn’t have magic here, that no one does.”

“Except Merlin,” Henry said. He looked at his mother. “And you didn’t have magic, right?”

“I still don’t,” Regina assured them. “Really. But last night, the knife…it kind of came to life, in a way. I felt its pull and I let it led me to the book.”

Realization dawned in Robin’s eyes; she winced. “That’s why you sent us away in Merlin’s tower. Regina…”

“Robin, I know…”

“You _don’t_ know, clearly! You could have been hurt. You didn’t know what the dagger was going to do.”

“I _know,”_ she insisted. “I made a mistake. It won’t happen again. It’s why I’m telling you all now.”

Robin shook his head, and she didn’t have time to make it better. “Look,” she said to the others. “The dagger didn’t do anything in Storybrooke, even when Hook tried to use it. And until last night, it didn’t do anything here. I think it means that…Emma might be here now.”

“In Camelot?” Mary Margaret gasped.

“No, but in the Enchanted Forest. I think we should take the book outside of Merlin’s barrier, see what spell it reveals, and find Emma.”

Robin crossed his arms. “In here, we’re safe.”

“But the whole point of coming here was to get her back,” Mary Margaret said.

David stepped forward. “The thing is, we don’t know what’s in that book. Regina, as soon as we step outside, we’re exposed, and whatever is written in the book may not help us at all.”

“I know, David. But at the same time, we won’t know what it holds until we go.”

“I’m going with you,” Mary Margaret announced. Before her husband could protest she said, “Emma’s not in Camelot, David, and because of Merlin’s magic she never will be. We can’t do anything to help her behind these walls. Because of Regina we have our best lead, and we have the Dark One’s dagger.” She took his hands in hers. “It’s time to go find our daughter.”

David nodded and held her close.

“I’m in too,” Leroy gruffed.

 “Me too,” said Henry.

Regina pulled him into her embrace and kissed the top of his head. “Not this time.”

“What? What do you mean, why not?”

 “Henry, it’s too dangerous. You’re safe here, and if I’m going to do this I need to know you’re safe.”

“But Mom,” he said, pushing away. “I can help. I can…”

 “Henry,” she said, her voice sharp. “You’re my son; I’m going to worry about you no matter what. I can’t fight the Dark One and rescue your mother if I’m thinking about you. Someone will get hurt.”

He glowered, but it held no real weight. “I don’t like feeling useless,” he said quietly.

David clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You’re not useless, Henry, and if you just stay here waiting for us that doesn’t help anyone. But if you’re here going through Merlin’s books, trying to find other messages he may have left behind…now that’s useful.”

Henry blinked at him. “You think…there’s other stuff up there?”

“It’s Merlin’s tower,” Mary Margaret said. “It’s nothing but secrets and history and priceless information. There are books everywhere…”

“And you’re the Author,” Regina finished. She cupped her son’s cheek. “You have a connection to Merlin, and every word he ever wrote.”

“Will you stay here then,” David said, “to be safe, yes, but also doing something really important for us?”

Henry sighed. “All right.”

Regina looked at the others. “Would you give us a moment, please?” When they were alone, she sat with her son on the bench in front of Merlin’s tree. “I know this isn’t what you want,” she said softly.

Henry threw his arms around her, to her surprise; she held him until he spoke. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

She closed her eyes and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m going to do everything I can to stay safe and bring Emma home.”

Henry pulled back and kicked at the ground. “Do you think Mom could ever hurt us?”

“Emma? Never.” She took his hand. “But the Dark One? Yes, I do. But at the risk of sounding like your grandmother…I also think there’s hope, Henry. Emma is a survivor and a fighter. She was the savior first, and that hasn’t gone away just because she’s also the Dark One. Most of the Dark Ones wanted power and control, but your mother turned dark for completely different reasons.”

Henry nodded. “For love.”

Regina blinked. “What?”

“She never wanted the power; she just didn’t want it to hurt _you._ She loves you, so she saved you.” He studied her. “You know that, right? That we all love each other, even if you guys don’t say it.”

She felt her cheeks start to flush and squirmed slightly on the bench. “Of course. I guess I never thought of it like that.”

He leaned against her, and she wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Love was such a weighted word for her, and her son said it so easily. His love wasn’t complicated, and it didn’t come with strings attached. There were few people in her life for whom she could say the same.

               

………………………………………………..

 

 “Here,” Mulan said, gesturing to a chair near the fireplace. “I’ll just get this going and find you something to eat.”

  Emma frowned. “But I’m not hungry.” She didn’t understand the look she was seeing on the other woman’s face. “Do you expect me to eat anyway?”

 Mulan flushed. “N…well, no, but…”

“Why are you so concerned with whether or not I eat?”

“Because I don’t know what else to do,” Mulan rushed. “You’re…you don’t seem like yourself, Emma, and I was hoping food or rest would help. They usually do.” She knelt at Emma’s side. “I know you’re worried about your family, which I understand, but…”

“How am I not myself?”

Mulan hesitated. “You’re very…defensive. Quick with your words,” she amended at Emma’s glare. “And…you’re not making a lot of sense. I want very much to help you, Emma, but you’re making me a little nervous.”

Emma blinked. “You’re afraid of me.”

Mulan cringed but didn’t deny it.

That wasn’t going to help her find Henry or her parents any faster. She needed Mulan focused on the surrounding villages, not on her. She considered her words, and softened her tone. “If I sit…if I eat…will that make you feel better?”

“Yes,” Mulan said, “but more importantly it will make _you_ feel better. I promise.”

Emma watched Mulan as she searched the home for food, set a kettle on the fire, and prepared to make her more “comfortable.” The woman’s entire demeanor had changed as soon as Emma agreed to let her think she was helping. Curious.

And valuable.

As Emma ate the stew she was offered (whether it was good or bad, she could not say; she tasted nothing. It was merely hot), Mulan opened up about the worries of the kingdom. They feared the Dark One had returned, but if the darkness had become separated from Rumplestiltskin as Emma claimed, then that left them back at square one. They had no idea who to look for or protect themselves against. Maybe the darkness was still searching for a human host.

As she listened, Emma wondered at Mulan’s fears. She (and the rest of the kingdom) so clearly misunderstood the darkness. She spoke of it as though it were uncontrollable, unpredictable. It frustrated Emma and made her want to correct Mulan, but that wouldn’t get her what she wanted: Mulan’s assistance.

“You’re sure you don’t remember anything after the darkness attacked you?”

Emma shrugged. “One minute they were all there in front of me, and the next I was alone.”

Mulan drummed her fingers on the table. “Well, they can’t be too far away; portals tend to bring people to the same general area. And if they haven’t changed clothes, they’ll be easy to spot. Someone will have seen them. Besides, they’re probably looking for you, too.” She gave a hopeful smile. “We’ll find them.”

There was a curious sound outside; Emma tilted her head. A crash, followed by a tearing sound…and then a deep, deep snarling. Mulan leapt to her feet as the door was broken down by a massive wolf—its nostrils were flared, hair standing on end. Emma had never seen an animal with such ravenous hate in its eyes.

“No, wait!” Mulan shouted, her hands outstretched.

But the wolf jumped at Emma. She dispatched it without hesitation; bolts of magic shot from her hands. There was a pained yelping, the distinctive smell of burnt flesh, and the wolf was in a mess on the floor. Mulan screamed and fell to her knees at its side as Emma sipped the remains of her stew.

“It’s all right,” Emma said. “We’re safe.”

Mulan looked up at her, her face streaked with tears. “It’s Ruby. Emma, it’s _Ruby.”_ She pressed a hand over her mouth and turned back to the wolf, searching frantically for signs of life.

 _Ruby. Another friend. The werewolf._ That was right, or it was supposed to be—friends didn’t attack each other as Ruby had done. Mulan had helped her; Ruby was out for blood. She was no friend of Emma’s, not anymore. _Perhaps she never had been._ And now, the wolf had ruined her plans; Mulan wasn’t going to be of any help, not if she cared as much for the dying wolf as she seemed to. Emma could wipe her memory, perhaps, or take her heart and control her mind, forcing her to assist. She sighed and looked down at the stew she had finished that she had never wanted in the first place.

Perhaps all of that was too much trouble. She didn’t want to waste any more time. Besides, Mulan didn’t even know anything—she was just going to ask villagers questions, which Emma was capable of doing herself.

Mulan continued her futile attempts to revive the wolf. “Please,” she begged Emma, her voice thick with tears. “You have to do something.”

Emma stood and pulled her hood back over her head. “Yes,” she said. “I have to find my family.”

She vanished.

 

………………………..

 

Belle was waiting for the dragons in the back corner booth at Granny’s. The old woman brought them all tea, then slid into the booth with them.

Maleficent raised an eyebrow at the normally meek librarian. “Are you going to tell us what this is all about? I’ve already had my fill of Storybrooke residents today, and it’s not even noon.”

Belle pulled a large, dusty book from her satchel and placed it on the table. “I found this in Rumple’s private collection, and it gave me an idea. We don’t know when the others are coming back, right?”

“Or if they’ll be successful,” Mal added, sipping her tea.

Belle nodded. “That, too.” She flipped the book open to a page dense with runes, and a few drawings of what looked like bars or a cave. It looked to Mal like very involved and complicated magic.

Granny gave a low, impressed whistle. “I don’t know what all of that says, but it looks to me like one hell of a cage.”

“That’s exactly what it is,” Belle said. “Specifically, Rumple’s cage. The one they used to contain him under the castle, back in the Enchanted Forest. This spell can be used to create a prison cell that can contain the Dark One at the height of his powers. Well… _her_ powers, now.” She eyed the group. “I think we should get to work on building it, perhaps with the dwarves’ help, in case things go wrong with Emma.”

Lily squirmed next to Mal. “I…I don’t like the idea of a cage.”

Granny gave a quiet laugh. “I don’t think anyone at this particular table is fond of cages, Lily. But…” she glanced around at the rest of the group. “We know what makes a good one.”

Mal leaned forward. “If we’re going to do this, we need as few people to know as possible. We don’t want people to think we don’t have any faith in their heroes. This is just…practical.”

Belle nodded. “And if we need to use it…”

“It’s because Emma isn’t Emma anymore; she’s the Dark Savior, with incredible power. If too many people know there’s a cage waiting for her, it won’t take her long to find out.” She eyed the librarian. “This is good, Belle.”

“You just might have saved us,” Granny said. “Now, we just need to think of a good place for this thing.”

Maleficent shook her head. “I know where it needs to be.”

 

………………………………..

 

“I know you disagree with this decision,” Regina said as she pulled her trousers on. Robin sat at the edge of her bed, where he’d been begging for a more conservative course of action for half an hour. “There’s nothing else you can say to me, and clearly nothing I say is changing your mind either. So, please.” She pulled on a pair of boots. “Just stop. You can stay here in Camelot if you want to, but I’m leaving. Soon.”

“Regina, I just…I don’t want to lose you.”

“Well, I don’t want to be lost! But we came here for a reason. At least, I did.” She sighed and put her hands on her hips. “Why did you come at all instead of staying with Roland and keeping an eye on Zelena? If you don’t want to fight and you don’t want _me_ to fight…what are you doing here?”

He shook his head, a pained look in his eyes. “I came because I love you. Because I wanted there to be at least one person on _your_ side, not just Emma’s. I wanted there to be someone to remind you to think things through before you act on them.”

Regina strapped the Dark One’s dagger to her hip. “You insist on believing I haven’t thought this through.”

“We need time to look at other options before…”

“We don’t have it!” she snapped. If she had had her own magic in Camelot, something would have been on fire. As it was, Regina clenched her fists. “We don’t have time. Especially not here. Who knows how many days have passed on the outside? Every moment, the darkness is growing stronger in her, and we have a smaller chance of saving her. Do you get that? This isn’t about me.”

“It’s about her,” he said quietly.

Regina stared at him, incredulous. “Yes. It is.” Her brow furrowed as an uncomfortable feeling settled in her stomach. “And that’s a problem for you.”

“No, that’s not…”

She blinked. “Yes it is. Why?”

At least he had the decency to look ashamed. “It’s entirely selfish, I know. But…this year alone, my heart has been torn to shreds. I found you, fell in love with you. Then Marian came back, I thought…but then I lost her at least twice more. I tried to keep her safe and lost you…but in reality your sister tricked me, and now I have you again, but now a child’s involved…two, actually…”

Regina clenched her teeth. “Three.”

Robin bowed his head. “Henry. Of course. This must all be confusing to him too. And now I’ve finally got you back, and I just…I can’t lose you, Regina. Not again.”

She felt the tears behind her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “Robin, I never went anywhere. I was never lost; I was right there, waiting for you…but I also respected the decisions you made for your family.” She shook her head. “I love you, but you have to stop this. No one yanked your heart back and forth but you. The rest of us were just trying to live with you constantly changing your mind.”

This wasn’t the conversation she wanted to have _ever,_ let alone when she had to go off to fight the Dark One with little more than the dagger and a prayer. She didn’t want to hurt him; part of what she loved about Robin was that he was kind, and sensitive, warm where she could be cold. “And now I need you to respect the decisions I’m making for my family, because I am not changing my mind.” She blinked the traitorous tears from her eyes as she pulled on a jacket. “I’ll understand if you choose to stay here while we search for the Dark One. I won’t be upset. But if you choose to come with us you can’t get in my way.”

When she left for the great hall, Robin was still sitting on her bed.

 

………………….

 

She wished Ruby had stayed in her wolf form. It made it easier, in a way. But now, close to death, Ruby looked like Ruby…only brutally burned and bloodied. Mulan cradled her to her chest and wept.

_What had happened?_

Ruby and Emma were friends, good friends, why had they attacked each other as though they were mortal enemies? Why was Emma so frighteningly cold and dismissive? How could she leave without saving Ruby? Magic was the only thing that could save her, even Mulan knew that. The rise and fall of her chest was so very faint, but it had given Mulan false hope that everything would be okay with time. With a start, she realized Ruby’s lips were moving; she was trying to say something. Mulan brushed the tears from her eyes and leaned over her. “What is it, my love?”

Her lips barely moved. “Dak. Uhn. Enna.”

It didn’t make any sense, but Mulan didn’t want to tell her that. “I love you,” she whispered.

“Enna. Dak. Enna.”

“Shh, shh. Be still.” _Be anything but still. Be all right. Be alive. Be with me._ “Rest.”

But her lover appeared agitated; her shallow breathing quickened. “No. Enna. Enna.”

She was insistent, so Mulan tried to focus. “Emma, yes.”

Ruby closed her eyes. “Dak. Uhn.”

Mulan’s eyes went wide. “She’s… _Emma_ is the Dark One?” Her stomach turned to ice, her despair renewed. “I brought her here. I can’t believe I…” She looked down at Ruby in horror. “I’ve done this to you. I’ve…I’ve…”

Ruby squeezed her hand; what she said was more breath than sound, but Mulan heard it. “Luff.”

Mulan cried. “I love you too,” she whispered.

 

…………………………

 

King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and the knights they had met all gathered in the Great Hall to see them off. Henry stood with Kelemon, her hand on his shoulder. “I’ll protect him with my life,” she swore.

Regina looked to King Arthur, who nodded in agreement. “And I will quite enjoy revisiting Merlin’s teachings,” he said, “with such a young, sharp mind at my side.”

“Hopefully we’ll find something that can help Mom,” Henry muttered, still clearly torn about being left behind.

“Of course you will,” Queen Guinevere assured him; Regina was amused to see her son blushing at the warm words from the beautiful queen. “You have already been wise in realizing where you can do the most good.” She turned to Regina. “I have confidence in your choices as well, Regina Mills. Do not hesitate to return to Camelot if you need our help sooner than you anticipate.”

At that, Regina glanced down to the metal bracelet at her wrist; each member of their party wore one. “And all we have to do,” she asked, “is tell them we wish to return? Any particular wording of that, or timing?”

Arthur shook his head. “Merlin didn’t feel that would be prudent. The magic in the bracelets will understand you.”

“All that’s left is for you to decide where you want the portal to take you,” Guinevere said.

They were led to another room behind heavy oak doors with a glittering pool at its center. Merlin had constructed a permanent portal that would take the people of Camelot anywhere in the greater realm—a great advantage for the people of the sheltered kingdom. The bracelets they wore were the only things that could bring them back without a long, long journey.

Regina’s heart lifted when Robin appeared, bow slung over his shoulder, to join them. She swallowed her tears; he gave her a nod. He was with her.

“Take care in choosing your destination,” Arthur warned. “You will appear there in an instant.”

“Of course,” Regina said. Her immediate impulse was to ask the portal to take them to Emma…but of course, it would, and they were not ready to battle the darkness within her. They needed someplace where they could inspect the book for enchantments…but someplace near enough to Emma that there would be hope of finding her. And if she asked to be taken to the last place Emma was, it could be anywhere—even a nightmarish hell-dimension.

_We can’t have that…_

But then she realized what she should say. “All right,” she told the others. “I’m ready.”

They stepped up to the edge of the portal, held hands, and prepared to jump in. Regina took a deep breath. “Take us where we need to be,” she said.

 

…………..

 

“Oh my god,” Mary Margaret cried.

They had all appeared in a small cabin. While the rest of them, Regina included, needed a moment to reorient themselves, Mary Margaret needed no such time; she fell to her knees at a woman’s side. “What happened? Is she…?”

Regina blinked, recognition setting in. It was Mulan. Why had the portal sent them to her? She frowned, and her eyes followed Mary Margaret’s to the true source of her distress.

“Oh god,” she breathed. “David, find water. Robin…” she closed her eyes, trying to focus on an old spell; only some of the ingredients could be commonly found. “I need you to find nettles and…and marigolds. Leroy, push the furniture out of the way and then help Robin crush up whatever he’s able to find.”

As the others scattered, Regina knelt next to a weeping Mary Margaret and placed a hand on her back; her other hand hovered over Ruby. She could feel only the faintest hope of life.

Mulan looked at her, desperation in her eyes. “Regina, can you do anything?”

She let out a shaky breath. “Yes. I can try. But…it’s going to hurt.” She looked between Mulan and Mary Margaret and said, “She needs a life force, some of one at least. I need to bring her out of the woods to the point that she could start to heal, but to do that I need to drain that energy from someone else.”

“Me,” Mulan said. “Let’s go.”

Regina held up a hand. “I need the ingredients the others are gathering to enhance the spell and give us our best chance of success. But ‘success’ means…you’ll both need the same amount of healing afterwards.” She looked back at Ruby’s twisted form, her heart aching for the fallen wolf. “You will feel as though this was done to you, too.”

Mulan was shaking her head. “I don’t care.”

“What…” Mary Margaret said quietly, wiping tears from her cheeks. “What was done to her?”

Regina saw the flash of anger and confusion on Mulan’s face. “Emma.”

Mary Margaret’s eyes went wide with pain. “Emma? No…no, she could never do this to Ruby…”

As Regina’s hopes sank, she met Mulan’s look of distress with one of her own. “But the Dark One could,” she whispered.

“Ruby knew,” Mulan said sadly. “Right away, she knew. She attacked, and Emma…stopped her. Like she was nothing to her. I begged her to help, but she…she vanished.”

“Where?” Mary Margaret choked. “Where did she go?”

Mulan looked back at Regina. “She’s looking for all of you.”

Regina felt the first trembling of real fear in her spine as David appeared in the doorway with a bucket of water. “Put it over the fire,” she managed to instruct.

Soon Robin and Leroy were back as well, and Regina had created a thick paste that she put on her own hands, Mulan’s, and Ruby’s. She looked to Mary Margaret. “Try to keep her comfortable,” she said. As she uttered the spell, a blueish glow started to fill the cabin. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead as Regina became the conduit, sharing pain and injury between the two women, hoping to bring balance. She struggled to maintain focus as Mulan started screaming, and the dagger fastened to her hip started to tremble; it recognized the dark magic remnants coursing through her. When the bond was finally broken, the spell complete, Regina collapsed onto the cabin floor, sweating and drained. She felt Robin’s strong hands lifting her, heard Mary Margaret’s grateful cries, and assumed the spell had been a success, right before she slipped into unconsciousness.


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, kudosing, and commenting:)

 

Regina woke up, warm and comfortable, and it took her a moment to remember where she was. She sat up and looked around the cabin. She had been settled on a bedroll on the floor. Mary Margaret sat next to the bed with two figures in it; apparently Ruby and Mulan were stable enough to be moved. Either that or they…

"Are they all right?" she asked, anxious.

Mary Margaret looked at her and smiled. "Thanks to you, yes. They will be, in time. You should go back to sleep until the guys get back with breakfast."

"Breakfast?" Regina said. She pressed a hand to her head. "How long was I…?"

"Just the night," Mary Margaret assured her. "We set up camp outside."

Regina nodded and leaned against the cabin wall, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Emma really is the Dark One, Mary Margaret."

Her friend nodded and looked away. "I know."

"I thought I knew that. But I didn't, not until this." She stared into the fire. At least Henry was safe, behind the impenetrable walls of Camelot. If he had been anywhere else, Regina would worry that her crafty son would find a way to follow them. But if the Knights of the Round Table, with thousands of years of experience between them, couldn't keep her son in one place, then frankly there wasn't anything in the world that could. But she trusted them, and in this moment it was the only peace she had.

"She's my daughter, Regina," Mary Margaret said. "What are we going to do?"

Regina shook her head, remembered something, and reached into her bedroll until she found it—the Dark One's dagger, and the small book. "The dagger responded to my magic last night," she murmured. Mary Margaret looked concerned and Regina added, "Well, not mine exactly. The dark magic Emma used."

"Regina," she whispered. "What if Emma could feel it?"

If Emma could feel it, it was only a matter of time before the Dark One found them; Regina had used quite a bit of her power to bring Ruby back from the brink of death, and it was bound to leave a trace. She looked down at the book. "Then I think it's time we found out what this is enchanted with." She didn't trust that she had the strength to stand, so she remained on her bedroll, leaning against the wall. Mary Margaret pulled over a chair to sit next to her.

Regina took a deep, calming breath and closed her eyes. She muttered various spells and counter-enchantments, all while gripping the book in her hands and waiting for one to reveal the secrets it kept just out of reach. After many minutes, her strength started to wane…and she was running out of spells. She blinked up at Mary Margaret.

"It's ok, Regina. Just take your time. Focus."

Empty words; she was focused, and it wasn't doing anything. Nothing at all. She bit her lip. "Mary Margaret…"

The other woman smiled, ever hopeful. "Yes?"

"I…" Regina held the book in her lap, ran her fingers over the soft leather cover and touched the delicate pages. "I think this is a blank book."

"What? But…" her eyes went wide. "You…you probably just need to rest some more, Regina. You've done some major magic in the last twelve hours alone, and…"

"I can feel it," Regina said, her voice tight. "Mary Margaret, it's blank. There's nothing here."

Mary Margaret grabbed the book from her hands. "But…the dagger, it…it _told_ you this was important. Right? _This_ book?" She gripped the cover desperately. "The one we based our plan on?"

Regina put her face in her hands and took a shuddering breath. It was absolutely the same book the dagger had led her to, but why had she assumed the dagger would be trying to help her? Dark magic coursed through the blade.

She felt like an idiot.

"It has to mean something, Snow," she whispered. "It has to."

The door to the cabin was pushed open and Robin entered with his bow slung over his shoulder. "David's building a fire for breakfast outside." He smiled warmly at Regina. "I'm glad to see you're awake."

Regina nodded; she didn't want to tell him that there was something else she'd made a mistake about.

Mary Margaret didn't seem ready to have that conversation either. "Let's eat," she said, "and figure out what to do for Ruby and Mulan."

It was clear that they couldn't leave their friends—they would need constant care over the next week, at least. David cleared his throat and set his breakfast aside. "You know where they should really be? In a hospital."

Regina blinked. "You think we should send them back to Storybrooke."

"I do. They'll be safest there, and now that you've saved Ruby's life, modern medical care could take over. Besides, we have the three beans for emergencies. I think this counts."

Mary Margaret frowned. "But we can't just send them through a portal alone; someone has to go with them and make sure they get the right help."

"I'll go," Leroy said. He held up a hand when it looked like Mary Margaret was about to argue. "I'm the best guy to take care of your best friend. I'll make sure they're ok."

As they prepared Ruby and Mulan for travel, Regina pulled the dwarf aside. "Leroy, I know you don't like me…" He grunted, and she continued. "But there's something else you need to do that's very important—you have to tell Maleficent and Granny everything that's happened. Don't hold back any detail just because Emma is Snow's daughter."

He looked at her with reluctant understanding. "I hear you."

She placed a hand on his arm. "Thank you, Leroy."

"They're ready," Robin called.

They had placed Ruby and Mulan in a litter outside that Leroy grabbed hold of; Regina took the magic bean Mary Margaret had been carrying and tossed it on the forest floor at the dwarf's feet. "Take them to Storybrooke," she said.

….

The portal whirled open, a swirling, twisting mass of green and blue lights. Energy crackled, and as Leroy stepped forward with the litter there was a bright flash; Mary Margaret shielded her eyes and leaned against David as the intensity of the portal grew. She heard the whoosh and abrupt silence that meant it had closed; she blinked to clear her vision.

Then she rubbed her eyes.

Then she looked around frantically, clutching David's sleeve.

Regina was gone.

…..

"Are you hungry?"

Henry turned to see Kelemon coming across the courtyard for him. He sighed and looked back up at the tree. "No, thank you."

Kelemon stood next to him and crossed her arms. "You know time works differently here—they will all be back faster than you think."

He kicked at the dirt. "Yeah, but I'm worried about that part too. They could be gone weeks…or months, even, and it could only feel like a few days for me. I don't want them in danger that long. And not feeling that time with them, it feels like a cheat or something." He sat on the bench. "I don't know."

"I know how you feel." When Henry looked at her in surprise, Kelemon continued with a shrug. "I grew up a daughter of the Round Table, and only part of that was in this timeless version of Camelot. It was a confusing adjustment. I didn't understand when I was younger why I couldn't be part of the action, explore the forest, or go with my father on quests. I worried about him all the time. Honestly, he'd come back sometimes looking like he'd been through a war, and I'd only seen him that morning."

Henry blinked back tears; he didn't want to see either of his mothers like that. He just wanted everyone to be okay.

Kelemon put a hand on his shoulder. "But this is the only way. The Dark One was once the Savior—that love and strength is warped and twisted. You are her son, and the truth is, Henry, you would be used as her most valuable weapon. There would be no coming back from that, for either of you."

He clenched his teeth; his family was different. They were heroes. They saved each other all the time.

Kelemon sat next to him; when she spoke again, her tone was softer. "I can see you don't want to believe me, and I don't blame you. You want to believe your mother is still there inside the Dark One. We all do. But my point is—if you were in the fight, and the Dark One got her hands on you, what she would do to your heart would ruin any chance of Emma Swan finding a way back to the light, because she'd never, ever forgive herself. You're saving her by being here."

They sat together in silence for a long while.

Eventually Henry allowed a servant to bring him a bowl of soup. He sat under the Merlin tree, with his soup and a book from the tower, and began to read.

….

"Where the hell is she?" Robin cried.

Mary Margaret shook her head. "Did she get caught up in the portal, with Leroy?"

"No," David said. "She made sure she was farther away than us, and we're still here."

They fanned out around the cabin, searched inside and out, combed the woods calling Regina's name. "She's not here," Robin said, his voice frantic.

David ran a hand through his hair. "But where could she have gone?"

Mary Margaret swallowed as dread filled her; she recalled her conversation with Regina from that morning: _what if Emma could feel the magic she had used?_ "Emma took her," she whispered.

…..

"I found you."

Regina's eyes darted around in confusion, looking for the source of the voice. When Emma stepped out of the trees, Regina gasped and instinctively backed up. Emma wore a white cloak, with the hood pulled over her head. When she held out a hand, Regina found herself unable to move.

"Be still. I've been looking everywhere for you. Are you all right?"

Regina's mind started racing as quickly as her heart was hammering. "I…I'm fine. We've been looking for _you_."

"For how long?"

"I…" She took a sharp breath against her invisible restraints. "We set out right away, right after you were taken."

Emma frowned. "How long ago was that?"

"Just a couple of days." She struggled to take a full breath.

Emma didn't seem to notice her distress; she stared off into the distance, her brow furrowed.

"Emma," Regina croaked. "I…I can't…"

The other woman blinked back to the present. "I'm sorry."

In an instant, the restraining spell was gone; Regina fell to her knees gasping for breath. _She meant to kill Ruby,_ she reminded herself. _This is not your friend. Your friend is trapped._ As she felt herself returning to normal, she asked, "Are you all right?"

Emma pushed the hood back from her face. "I'm confused about time, but it will pass. It's just…I thought we were separated longer. It felt much longer." She stared down at Regina. "I wondered why you were taking so long to find me, but then I thought that didn't make sense, so then I thought you were the ones who were missing."

Regina winced as she leaned against a tree, trying to stand; between Emma's attack, opening a portal, and her magic the night before, she was not doing well.

Emma stepped over to her. "You're hurt."

"I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me."

Regina stilled. She swallowed, took a breath, and met Emma's eyes. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to. Yes, I'm hurt."

"I can help." The blonde cupped Regina's face.

She felt a warm energy pulse within her. She squirmed, nervous but powerless. Her strength returned quickly, so quickly in fact that she was startled; she gasped and grabbed Emma's wrists.

"Better?" Emma asked.

"Yes," Regina said quietly. "…Thank you."

Emma released her and stared back into the forest; it seemed as if she might be listening to something. Regina took the opportunity to really look at the other woman—her hair was not as bright as Regina remembered, and her face was gaunt, with even more prominent cheekbones…but her eyes glittered a vibrant green. Under her white cloak she wore a grey dress. She was barefoot. "Emma," she ventured. "Are you hurt?"

Those eyes came to rest on Regina's face. "Nothing hurts me anymore."

Her heart ached at that. "Emma…"

"Where is Henry?"

"He's…he's far from here. But he's safe."

"Tell me where. Bring me to him."

Regina swallowed. "We can't get to him. Henry's in Camelot; there's a barrier against outside magic."

A dark look crossed Emma's face; the air crackled with energy. "You can't keep him from me."

Regina held up a hand. "I'm not trying to. We didn't know where you were, and…and you know Henry. If he gets an idea in his head and decides it's time for an 'operation,' he could run off and do something crazy. We needed to keep him in one place while we looked for you."

"We? Who else is here?"

"Your parents and Robin. They're…back at Mulan and Ruby's cabin." She took a step closer to Emma. "You almost killed Ruby. Do you know that?"

"Yes." She cocked her head and frowned. "You saved her?"

"Yes," she breathed, "Thankfully we arrived in time."

"She tried to kill me. Why would you help her?"

"She only attacked you because she knew you were the Dark One."

Emma glowered. "You're on her side."

Regina shook her head and stood her ground as the other woman advanced on her. "No. No, I am on _Emma's_ side."

Emma grabbed her arms roughly. "But not the Dark One's. Don't you understand: we are the _same."_

"No you're not," Regina spat.

She thought for a moment that her time had come; she felt the buildup of the power between them, and just when she thought it would burst and finish her, it evaporated. A look of calm appeared on the Dark One's face. "Regina, I thought you would be the one to see me, the real me." She dropped her voice to a whisper. "I _control_ the darkness. It has no power over me."

What broke Regina's heart is that Emma believed the words coming out of her mouth. "Not five minutes ago," she said through clenched teeth, "you healed me. And now you're hurting me."

The Dark One smiled and cupped Regina's face again, but this time Regina felt a chill. "I'm just trying to make you understand, that's all. I need you to, so that we can get our son and my parents and go home." She leaned in close, her eyes frighteningly wide, and said, "I don't want to be here."

Regina's breath hitched. "Please let me go."

To her surprise, the Dark One released her, though she remained mere inches away. "You will believe me. I understand your doubt, though I do find it…" a twisted smile appeared on her face. "Frustrating."

Regina clenched her hands to try to hide the fact that they were shaking. _Oh, Emma..._

Suddenly the Dark One's entire demeanor changed. "We have to go."

Regina blinked. "What?"

The Dark One touched her hand to Regina's arm, and they both vanished in a twist of grey smoke.

…..

Lily stepped off the elevator into what looked like another world, a relic of the Enchanted Forest right there in Storybrooke. She sucked in a breath as she stared into the endless cavern. _Her mother had been held prisoner here._ There were lanterns hung for the workers, now, but back then her mother would have had only the darkness. Lily tried to push down the anger she felt on her mother's behalf—if Maleficent could move on, she would have to learn to deal with it too. Her mother saw her exit and waved her over. "Any news, darling?"

Lily crossed her arms and remembered the original source of her irritation. "Hook's awake."

"Ugh, joy," Maleficent sighed. "The downside of a sleeping potion instead of a curse; it wears off."

"Can't we just give him more?"

"Soon, but not right away. Can't run the risk of putting him into a coma; he's as good as dead then, and I'm sure the heroes would have a bone to pick with that." At Lily's questioning look, her mother explained: "Only true love's kiss can break a sleeping curse. Do you think anyone's lips are up to snuff?" She smirked. "Other than if he could use his own; I've never met a man so cocky."

"He thinks Emma is his true love."

Mal sighed. "Well, even if that were true, Emma's not home anymore, and the Dark One can't love. Sleeping potions it is."

They looked over the cliff together at the cell construction going on below. Lily was impressed. "It's almost done."

"Yes; the dwarves do good work. It's the enchantments that will be hardest."

"Can you do it?"

Her mother pursed her lips. "I have to."

….

"Dark One, I summon thee!"

As the smoke cleared, Regina was horrified to get her bearings: Robin stood in front of her, with the Dark One's dagger in his hand. Emma was beside her, her hand still on Regina's arm, and her eyes filled with hate. "Have you lost your mind?" she snarled.

"I command you not to hurt any of us," Robin said through gritted teeth. "We just want to talk."

David had drawn his blade but seemed unsure of where to aim it; Mary Margaret, behind him, looked similarly torn.

_No, no, no,_ Regina thought. It didn't matter what Robin commanded with the dagger—someone was going to get killed in such a senseless standoff. "Robin, what are you doing?"

"She kidnapped you," he said. His eyes never left the Dark One. "It was the only way to get you back."

"Robin," Regina begged, "put the dagger down."

Emma grinned wickedly. "Yes, Robin. Put it down. Listen to your betters."

Robin's eyes darted from Regina's to David's and back to the Dark One's. "Get away from her," he said. There was a trembling in his voice, which wasn't a good sign—commanding the darkness wasn't a simple matter of saying words while holding the dagger. It required a strength of conviction if it was to last more than a few minutes.

Regina didn't like the look in Emma's eyes as she complied with his command; the blonde simply stepped back, a knowing smirk on her face.

"Regina, get out of the way," Robin said.

But she couldn't. Robin was blinded by his concern for her, but she had been holding her own with the Dark One, and possibly even getting somewhere before Robin intervened. If she moved away, she had no idea what he would do to Emma. "You can't hurt her," she said.

"I know what I'm doing."

Well, that wasn't possible—in a panic he had grabbed one of the most powerful magical items in any realm, and had summoned the personification of darkness to him without any magic of his own, or any sort of plan beyond shouting words at a knife. Regina knew enough about Dark Ones to know that if Robin wasn't careful with his choice of words, Emma could destroy them all on a technicality.

David cleared his throat. "Maybe you should listen to her. Give the dagger to Mary Margaret. We all just need to calm down."

Everything that happened next was a blur.

Robin shouted a command for the Dark One not to move; David lunged at him, but Robin gained the upper hand...as well as David's sword. Mary Margaret was shouting something, but Regina couldn't make it out. All of a sudden Robin was rushing at Emma, dagger in one hand, sword held high in another…

…and Regina threw herself around the Dark One, who never moved.

But Robin did. His momentum was too great, and his hesitation threw him wildly off-balance. There was a crash, and shouting, and then a sickening stillness. Regina let go of Emma and spun around to see Robin lying on the forest floor, with David's sword some distance away, and the Dark One's dagger buried in Robin's gut.

She tried to scream, but the sound wouldn't come out; she rushed to his side and cradled his head in her hands. "Robin…Robin!" She waved a hand over his injury, to no effect. _She had just brought someone back from the brink of death the day before._ But she had had ingredients for a spell, and another life force, and…and…

…he was leaving her.

"Do something," she whispered. She looked up into fearsome green eyes and shouted, "Do something! Please, Emma, I'm begging you."

The Dark One studied her…

...and then vanished.

"No!" Regina cried.

"We can get her back," Mary Margaret said. "We just need…" _the dagger in Robin's gut._

"You should pull it out," David said.

Regina shook her head. "He'll die."

David put a hand on her shoulder. "He's dying now, Regina. If we pull out the dagger, we can at least bring Emma back here and command her to heal him."

Every second counted, and David was right—Robin was dying in her arms. "Do it," she said, as tears streamed down her face. Mary Margaret pulled it out as gently as possible, and David pressed down on Robin's wound; her lover was so far gone he didn't utter a sound. "Don't leave me," she whispered.

Before Mary Margaret could utter a word, the Dark One reappeared with something in her hands. "I can save him," she said.

A flag went up, even through the fog of Regina's grief. "What…what is that?"

Emma held up a hand, and Regina and her parents were pushed across the clearing by a magic pulse; the air was completely knocked out of Regina when she landed. She hissed and pushed herself up on her elbows, looking back desperately to where Robin was lying. The Dark One was bent over him—she ripped open his shirt, and Regina realized what was about to happen.

"No!" she yelled. But she was too late, and watched as though she were living a nightmare: Emma pulled Robin's still, dull heart from his body, withdrew a vibrant red heart from her cloak, and drove it into his chest. There was a burst of energy that rocked the trees; Regina had to throw her arms over her face to shield herself from debris. She didn't realize she was shaking until she felt hands on her arms.

The Dark One.

"It's all right," Emma assured her. "He's alive. Look."

Across the clearing, Robin was staggering to his feet. Dark One or no, Regina grabbed Emma's cloak and shook her. "What have you done?" She remembered Daniel, the shell of a man brought back to life with a foreign heart, who begged her to end the pain of his existence.

"I've done what you asked."

"Whose heart was that?" She felt she was losing her grip on reality.

"Don't worry, it belonged to a strong villager. If I hadn't taken his heart from him, the man would have lived a long time. Robin will be fine."

…..

The crying and shouting was becoming tedious.

She had done everything they asked. She had saved the life of the idiot who had tried to kill her in such a cowardly manner, and still they cried as though she had let him die. She stood back and watched Regina collapse in tears as David ran to inspect Robin, who at worst was merely disoriented. Mary Margaret tried to assure Regina that he was all right, and in the meantime, the dagger had been dropped to the forest floor. With a flick of her wrist, it was in Emma's hand where it belonged; she tucked it into her cloak.

The scene before her wasn't getting any better; now that she had found most of her family, she needed to get her son and get back to Storybrooke, where they belonged. But the weeping, hysterical people before her…she had to fix that first.

"Enough," she said. She opened her hand to reveal the magic bean she had found in Robin's shirt pocket.

"What are you doing?" Mary Margaret cried.

"You can't send us away," David said. "Henry…"

"Let me worry about my son. You've all done quite enough." Mulan hadn't been grateful when she'd saved her life—she'd been upset and frightened. Regina had begged her to save Robin's life, but when she did, they'd all come undone. She had to remember this for the next time—her friends and family did not always mean what they said. Next time she would do better. Nothing could be accomplished with this emotional chaos.

Regina was at her side. "Emma, please; you can't…"

She looked down at her, disappointed. "Next time, Regina. Next time you'll understand."

"What are you…"

She held up her hands. "Forget," she commanded. As white light enveloped them all, she took the magic bean and threw it to the ground. The portal swirled and expanded, and Emma pushed the lot of them through.

But there was one surprise: as the lights faded and the portal closed, Regina remained unconscious on the forest floor. _Interesting._ Emma knelt at her side and held a hand over her: she felt the presence of magical items. The bracelet on her wrist burned at the touch; the Dark One hissed and moved on. She found another magic bean; she whisked it into her cloak. There was a leather cord around Regina's neck; she tugged it free, revealing a large tooth. A dragon's tooth, that had been fashioned into a protection amulet.

Her lips curled into a snarl. _Maleficent._

They _had_ formed an alliance against her. Her anger flared, and she crushed the tooth to powder in her hand.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOINKS. Sorry for the delay, this one was a beast as I got everyone where they needed to go! Thank you all for reading, following, bookmarking, kudosing, commenting. :):)

"I'm going to need you to repeat that." Lily's eyes went wide; she glanced at Leroy (and the question on his face) as she pressed her cell phone to her ear. "But…all right. All right!" She rubbed her eyes. "No, bring them to the station, the hospital is crazy. I don't want to keep all of our problems in one place. I'll be right there." She hung up.

Leroy leaned forward. "Well? What's happened?"

She still didn't believe the words she was about to say: "The others just appeared on Main Street."

"Wait, Mary Margaret? Charming?" His face scrunched in anger and confusion. "But they just sent me through a half hour ago!"

"I know." Lily looked over his shoulder at the hospital beds; Mulan and Ruby were going to be all right, but they would be in the hospital for some time.

"That means something's gone horribly wrong," Leroy said.

Lily stood up. "I know. Come on."

…

One of the benefits of chaos is that more minor issues tend to get overlooked. Hook, who hadn't received any more of the sleeping potion, heard every word. He looked at his restraints.

It was now or never.

…..

Lily entered the police station to find her deputized dwarves, Snow White, Prince Charming, and Robin Hood, and no Emma, Regina, or Henry. "Okay…" she started. "So…what happened?"

Robin Hood blinked at her and scratched at his chest; his shirt had been torn open, but other than that he seemed to be all right. "I'm not quite sure," he said.

"Emma's all right though," Mary Margaret said.

"Yes," David said. "That's right, she is. And…there was a portal, but…we're home now."

Lily raised an eyebrow and looked to Leroy, who crossed his arms. "Uh-huh," he gruffed. "Where's Regina?"

The others exchanged confused looks, as though the information was just out of their reach. Leroy pulled Lily aside. "This is bad. They had to have run into Emma right after I left."

"And she needed to get rid of them," Lily murmured. "Wiped their memories and sent them here."

"So much for our rescue party. We're screwed. Now the Dark One has the Evil Queen."

"And their son. Yeah. Now she's got all the power she wants, and probably can't wait to send the rest of us to hell."

Leroy put a hand on her arm. "Hold on, sister—she doesn't have the kid."

"How do you know?"

Leroy held up his arm; there was a bracelet around his wrist. She noticed Mary Margaret, David, and Robin each had one too. "I hadn't gotten to tell you that part of the story yet—Henry's back in Camelot, safe. These are the only way to get close to that kingdom, and no one actually gets in without the Knights' approval. Merlin's magic is impenetrable."

Lily leaned on the sheriff's desk. Maybe that was why the Dark One had kept Regina in the Enchanted Forest—to get closer to her son. If the Evil Queen could be controlled by the Dark One…she shuddered to think what could become of that.

David frowned and glanced down at the band on his wrist. "Henry…he isn't here, is he?"

Mary Margaret's brow furrowed. "He's in Camelot."

Leroy took his friend's hand. "That's right. Can you remember anything else?"

Mary Margaret shook her head. "Not after we left Camelot. But…I feel like everyone was okay."

"Yes," Robin said. "Regina and Emma had found a way to temper the Dark One's magic. Someone…yes, someone was injured, I think?"

"That's right," David said. "And Emma healed them. She sent us back to keep us safe."

Leroy scratched the back of his head. "Yeah…that doesn't sound right."

"She erased your memories," Lily said.

"No," Mary Margaret said, "that's just an effect from traveling through realms."

Leroy sighed. "Mary Margaret. The faster you all accept that Emma messed with your minds, the faster we can fix it." He held out his hand to her. "I'm gonna need you to come with me to the hospital. There's a friend of yours you need to see."

….

_Regina stretched her arms over her head and yawned. She glanced at the clock on the table next to the bed—time to make breakfast. She pushed the comforter aside and slid her feet into slippers; a few quick steps brought her to her closet. She selected a grey silk robe, cinched it at the waist, and headed downstairs._

_Sunlight streamed through the windows; it was going to be a beautiful weekend. She opened the cupboard and pulled out the coffee grounds. She scooped a generous amount into the brewer and started it percolating. Eggs next—pancakes were all well and good, but without a bit of protein they wouldn't stick. She cracked six into a bowl and whisked them up with a little milk and just a bit of grated cheese; it was Saturday, after all._

_Regina poured herself a cup of coffee while she scrambled the eggs and started ladling out the pancake batter onto the skillet. Delicious smells filled the kitchen, and she felt content._

_Henry slipped into the kitchen with a sleepy grin; she hugged him close, and he went to the fridge and poured himself a generous glass of orange juice. She let him sneak a pancake off the stack as she scooped the eggs into a serving bowl and flipped the final pancakes._

_They would go to the stables today. Henry had started horseback riding and was quite skilled. Their picnic lunch had been prepared the night before, and was waiting in the refrigerator for the day's adventures. Perhaps they would go as far as the lake today; it was such a lovely spot._

_As she poured a second mug of coffee, this one with a dash of cream, she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist. Emma reached beyond her for the coffee mug, smiling warmly as she brought it to her lips and took a sip. Emma sat next to their son, her blonde hair in a cascade over one shoulder, her sharp eyes on Regina._

_There were no other cars on the road to the stables; when they arrived, the horses were saddled and ready to go. Regina led the way down the forest path, enjoying the sensation of warm kisses of sunlight giving way to the cool shelter of birch and oak leaves. They found a clearing, and stopped early for lunch. Regina kicked off her shoes to feel the grass on her feet. She pulled a book out of the picnic basket, intending to lie back in the afternoon sun and read, but Emma placed a gentle hand on hers and placed the book back in the basket. "We have to get Henry," Emma said._

_Regina blinked; the sun was now low in the sky, the day giving way to dusk. They hadn't made it to the lake. Perhaps next time. She looked around—the horses were gone, as was the picnic. Emma was pulling on her boots and red leather jacket. They were no longer in the clearing, but deeper in the forest. Regina was sitting on the ground, her back against a tree, and looked at Emma with a question in her eyes._

_"Henry ran off to play with his friends," Emma explained. "Don't you remember? You said that he could."_

_Regina's brow furrowed. "Yes, of course," she said. "How could I…_

…forget?" She gasped and opened her eyes. Had she just dozed off mid-sentence? How much wine had they had with lunch?

Emma was smiling at her. "That's all right," she said kindly. "We've had a busy day. But we should get him home now. He's waiting for us."

He was; Regina was sure of that. "Yes."

Emma took her hand. "Do you remember where Henry's waiting?"

Regina felt the bracelet on her wrist pulse to life. "Yes I do."

…..

"I thought you'd be with Ruby," Maleficent said as she perched on a stool at the diner.

Behind the counter, Granny pushed her glasses on top of her head and rubbed her eyes. "I was there all morning. The others have a better bedside manner; I have to do something."

Mal raised an eyebrow. "Brew coffee?"

Granny reached behind her and slammed a shotgun on the counter. "Take inventory."

Mal gave a sly smile, impressed. She ran a finger along the weapon. "I see. Very good. Though, if she gets through magic and dragons, and it comes down to the Dark One versus bullets…I imagine that will be the end of us."

"Anyone can be killed if you catch 'em by surprise."

"So you'll be shooting first and asking questions later."

Granny put her glasses back on her nose and tucked the shotgun back behind the counter. "When it's down to Dark One versus bullets, you bet your ass."

Maleficent nodded. She accepted the mug of tea a waitress poured for her, her usual when she came in alone. She thought of the injured werewolf she had seen, and her warrior partner. She thought of her own daughter, and how like Ruby Lily was—ignorant of her powers for so long, searching for her identity, full of guilt. Both were bearers of other peoples' burdens at times…and both reserved some part of their hearts for Emma Swan. For what she represented.

Once.

She sipped her tea. "Is your granddaughter going to be all right?"

"The doctors say so." Granny sighed and threw her dishrag over her shoulder. "I think so, yes."

"I'm glad to hear you say that; I'll believe your gut over Storybrooke's doctors any day, Granny Lucas." They shared a brief, tense smile. "What does your gut say about our heroes returning so quickly with their memories erased, without Regina or her son?"

Granny glanced around the diner at its patrons, who were happily eating burgers and milkshakes, coffee and fries. "It says our plan A better work."

….

Lily drove the police cruiser deep into Storybrooke's woods, beyond the cemetery and the camp of the Merry Men, until she ran out of road. She turned off the car, left the keys in the ignition, and climbed out, her boots crunching into the gravel that continued on for only another fifteen or twenty feet before getting swallowed up by grass.

She sat against the hood of the car with her hands in the pockets of her jeans, and listened to the sounds of the forest. She wondered, not for the first time, what her life would have been like if those sounds had been her entire world, instead of the novelty they were now. Would she have the same love of the woods she had now, or would she have grown up taking the sounds and smells for granted?

Lily thought she would have always loved the forest; it filled her soul.

She stood up and pulled her sweater off over her head. It was followed quickly by her tank top, boots, jeans, and undergarments. She folded everything and left her clothes on the hood of the cruiser. She walked deep into the trees until she couldn't see the car anymore, closed her eyes, and started to change. When she was in control, the transformation was much less frightening; it was slower, for one thing, and she could stop and reverse the process if she needed to. When she was finished, she took a deep breath and stretched her wings. With a quick leap, she was flying over the treetops, circling around, and looking for the perfect spot; she found it near the river, a nice blend of trees and clearing, with an abundance of rocky outcroppings. When she landed, she starting ripping at the earth with massive claws, gouging out a large circle. As she did so, she also took deeper and deeper breaths; she could feel the furnace within her churning, growing hotter and hotter.

When it grew so hot she worried she might actually harm herself, she exhaled.

Flames shot out with enough intensity to blast a hole in the ground; Lily fought to keep her focus as she pushed the fire deeper and deeper into the earth, obliterating grass and dirt and liquefying the rock around her. It cooled the instant she passed it, pushing down, down, down…

And when she was done, she gasped for breath. Great plumes of smoke escaped her nostrils, and she growled as her body temperature returned to normal. Small jets of flame still snuck out as she breathed, illuminating the cave she had created.

The entire space was lined with black stone, with ribbons of white cutting across in several places. Her dragon form was unable to stand upright, but it held her body snugly in a crouch. It would do. She pushed some boulders in front of the entrance, not enough to block it entirely, but enough to hide what it was from a passing glance.

She flew back towards the car, landing where she would still be hidden by the trees. Lily emerged in human form, put her clothes on, and drove the cruiser back towards town.

…..

They appeared in the middle of the forest; Emma frowned. "Henry's not here."

But that wasn't the only problem—this area of the kingdom set her skin crawling. She clenched and unclenched her hands, fighting to keep her magic under control. Everything within her was telling her to flee, which was ridiculous, because there was nothing near them. And yet…

"They have to choose to let us inside," Regina said. "The barrier prevents us from going any further."

_Barrier?_

There was nothing.

Her temper flared; there was powerful magic at work that she couldn't see. But she could see the shadow spirits creeping out from behind the trees, advancing slowly towards them. The ones who had brought her nothing but pain in the darkness; she clenched her teeth and unleashed a blast of light in their direction. They kept coming.

Regina held up her own hands, ready to assist. "What is it?" she asked, tense. "Emma, what do you see?"

"A threat," she bit, sending another blast into the foliage. The shadows grew larger. "We have to get inside. We have to keep our son safe, Regina. He's counting on us."

"I know," Regina said; there was a hitch to her voice. Emma couldn't afford to spend any more of her magic to ensure that Regina did the right thing; the shadows were everywhere. She just had to trust her.

A ripple appeared in the air beyond the shadows, as though someone had tossed a pebble into a pond. The Dark One squinted; ever so slowly, a figure was starting to take shape.

The shadows were now on top of them; the Dark One gave up on trying to push them back, but a cold sweat broke out on her skin as they pressed against her, their wordless whispers filling her mind. "Regina…stay near me."

Her friend stepped closer, though her eyes remained cautious. "What's wrong?"

Emma clenched her teeth to stop them from chattering. "I don't know. We can't stay here long."

The figure manifested—it was a woman, a knight, her hand on her sword hilt and her eyes locked on the Dark One. Regina gasped. "Oh! It's Kelemon. She'll let us pass." She placed a hand on Emma's arm; the shadows moved away from her touch. "Then we can get Henry, and go home."

But the figure merely stood in the forest. It was maddening. "What is she waiting for?"

Regina had no answer, and Emma had no patience; she was not going to get pulled under by the shadows, not again. She pushed Regina away and ran to the figure, this knight, but before she could demand access to Camelot, Emma crashed pull force into the invisible barrier and was flung back into the trees. She crashed to the ground, winded; her head snapped up, a look of hate radiating from her green eyes. "You will not keep my son from me!" she screeched, and unleashed a volley of fireballs at the woman.

They dispersed, harmless, against the barrier.

Emma ignored the fright in Regina's eyes, pushed up her sleeves, and released another round. The knight didn't flinch. The shadows regrouped around her, clawing at her, and she started to sweat again. She had flashes of memories mixed in with nightmares, and couldn't tell the two apart; had her son been stillborn? Had her parents hidden her in a wardrobe? Had Regina killed her mother? Had she ever found her family?

She pressed her hands to her head and screamed.

In the distance, she could hear Regina calling to the knight to let them in and save them from the attack at the barrier, but the woman remained unmoved. Black clouds of dark magic started to whirl around Emma, until Regina grabbed her arms, and took her away in a swirl of purple mist.

Away from the barrier, Emma fell to her knees, gasping for breath; she felt the shadows leave her mind, and became aware of a hand on her shoulder. Regina's hand. She reached back and grasped it as her breathing, and her mind, returned to normal. Her son was alive, held captive in Camelot.

And powerful magic prevented her from reaching him.

But the shadows hadn't gotten her again; Regina had pulled them away.

_Regina._

Emma blinked and looked up into worried brown eyes. "You saved me."

Regina gripped her hand. "But from what? I…I couldn't see anything…"

Emma shook her head. "You trusted me. What made you trust me?"

"I…" Regina shrugged, at a loss for words. "I just do. And you trust me. That's how this works."

The Dark One closed her eyes and sighed as the tension of battle left her body. "Yes. Yes it is."

"So tell me what happened back there."

Emma leaned back against a tree. "Dark magic." She frowned. "There isn't supposed to be dark magic in Camelot."

"But…I didn't see anything. Only Kelemon."

"Yes, well, maybe I could see it because…because of the connection I have to the darkness now."

"Of course." Regina hesitated. "Do you think…is it possible that, so close to the barrier, that your magic…reacted badly?"

Emma shook her head. "You taught me how to control my darkness, remember?"

Regina frowned.

Before she could follow that thought too far, Emma continued. "Which means Henry is trapped in Camelot behind a wall of dark magic. How are we supposed to get to our son, if your friend was so willing to watch us get attacked without helping? What does Henry mean to them? What do they need him for?"

"He doesn't mean anything to them. Not like that. They're…" Regina's brow furrowed as she attempted to pull the memory forward. "They're protecting him for me."

Emma took her hand and looked into her eyes. "…From what, Regina?"

A look of distress crossed the other woman's face; she stood abruptly and stalked into the forest, one hand on her hip and another in her hair.

Emma watched her. Patience was the name of the game; she had been much too hasty before.

Trust was how this worked.

She had to be subtle, almost gentle, with the former queen; tactics used on commoners would never work with the magically inclined. She couldn't let her own impatience be her downfall. That boiled down to sheer foolishness, and the Dark One was no fool.

Regina turned back to face her. "Something has messed with my memories. I can't trust them."

Emma stood, a look of concern on her face. "Messed with them how?"

"I have…pieces. Only pieces of different events, but they don't connect. I…remember trusting King Arthur, and eventually Guinevere, and all of the knights with Henry. Your parents were with me…and…" she squinted as though she was fighting with her mind for the next piece; she lost. "Someone else was with us, I think, but…and I remember finding you, in a cabin." Her eyes went wide as she looked at Emma. "You were frightened. Your magic was out of control. I sent your parents…home."

"Yes."

"Because I knew you would listen to me. We understand each other."

"Yes."

"But…but I don't remember anything else. I can't see how things connect. Do you think…"

"Go on. What are you afraid of?" Emma asked softly.

"The darkness tried to take me, Emma, but you stopped it. You saved me. Do you think, at the barrier…"

"…that it tried to take you again?" Emma cocked her head to the side. "Maybe that's what the shadows were doing."

"Shadows?"

"That's what I was fighting; they were swarming around us, driving me mad. I thought I was going to die. But then _you_ saved _me."_

Regina crossed her arms. "Maybe they got to me, just a little, even though they were invisible to me."

"It's possible."

"We should leave," Regina said.

"What?"

Regina gripped Emma's arms. "We should go back to Storybrooke, regroup."

"But Henry…"

"We're no good to him like this. We'll never get him out of Camelot if something dark is trying to keep both of us out, and neither of us understands it. We don't stand a chance, Emma." There were angry tears in her eyes. "I want my son back."

Emma placed her hands on hers and nodded. "Me too."

"One of us should have a magic bean…"

"I've got it." She closed her fist around it before Regina could take it. "It's not the last one, is it?"

Regina shook her head. "No. There are more hidden in Storybrooke."

She smiled. "Good."

"There's something else though…the dagger." Regina searched her pockets, and the empty sheath strapped under her jacket; worry washed over her face.

The Dark One took a calculated risk:

Emma pulled it from beneath her jacket. "You gave it to me." As Regina searched her eyes for the lie, Emma held the blade out for her. "You should take it back. Keep it safe."

Regina blinked. "I…"

Emma put the dagger in the other woman's hand. "Keep me safe. We don't know how they'll react when we get home without Henry."

Regina pursed her lips and sheathed the dagger. "I hate leaving him," she whispered.

"So do I," Emma said, magic glinting in her eyes. "But what I hate more is that someone would keep us from our son. That magic…" she shook her head. "That magic almost killed me. We have to get the others, research and regroup. We'll get him back."

Regina squeezed her hand. "Yes."

"Are you ready?"

She took a deep breath. "Yes." Regina held up the magic bean and tossed it to the forest floor while shouting their destination.

Emma smiled as the portal grew, sparking energy in all directions. Goodbye, Enchanted Forest. And most importantly—goodbye Camelot, and the magic that sought to limit her powers, or possibly even destroy her.

The two women leapt through the portal.

….

_For the briefest of moments, Emma thought she felt fear._

_This portal felt different; the uncertainty was an unfamiliar and very unpleasant sensation._

_As time and space warped around them, the Dark One sensed…interference. At first she thought it was from the Enchanted Forest, trying to pull her back, but then she realized it was their destination; someone was giving them an alternate landing point._

All of these sensations happened in an instant, and by the time she realized what was happening, it was much too late.

….

They women crashed to a stone floor, coughing and disoriented. Emma regained her senses first.

She was in a cave.

Rage boiled within her as flashbacks of her experience without time or space assaulted her thinking. Why would a Storybrooke portal have opened in a cave, of all places? She had expected the well. But then as her eyes adjusted to the torchlight she realized the truth.

She was in a cage.

She raced forward to the crude bars, hands held out to blast them into oblivion, but nothing happened. Emma stopped and stared, bewildered, at her own hands.

"Well would you look at that."

Her eyes darted up at the voice; two women she hadn't noticed before were standing in the shadows.

Granny stepped forward, shotgun level with the Dark One. Without turning to Lily, she said:

"Tell your mother it worked."


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes--my bad. Life took over in a huuuge way and this chapter took way too long for my liking! Thank you all so much for your comments and kudos. I hope you enjoy:)

Kelemon waited another hour before moving from her post; at her estimate, about two days should have passed in the outside world. She hadn't seen any other disturbances.

She made her way back to the castle.

The attack on the barrier had been brief, but disturbing; the newfound friends of Camelot hadn't been gone long at all before the Dark One had appeared at their gates, apparently led by the former queen. And she had used magic. Nothing that threatened Merlin's protection spells, of course, but it was quite troubling to see fireballs launched her way no matter how harmless they were. This Dark One was strong if she was able to summon any kind of power before the barrier worked its own magic on her. Kelemon had seen the woman fighting for her life against invisible foes. It was said that Merlin's defenses used the target's worst fears against them; any who were lucky enough to survive usually went mad. She couldn't imagine what the Dark One's fears must have looked like.

She met the rest of the council at the Round Table.

"Kelemon," the king said. "What do you have to report?"

She gave them every detail of what she had witnessed; the knights exchanged worried looks with the king and queen.

Her father leaned forward. "We must assume our friends have been defeated by the Dark One," he rumbled.

Arthur rubbed his beard. "It would appear so, Sir Kay."

"It would appear?" Kelemon's words were out of her mouth before she could think. "My apologies, Your Majesty."

"It's alright, Kelemon. Speak your mind, please."

"Sir…the Dark One vanished into a portal with Regina, who was the only member of their team with magic. The others must have already met their fate. And…" she lowered her voice. "And they've left the boy behind."

"Where is he now?" Gawain said.

"With Sir Percival in Merlin's tower," her father replied.

"Good," Guinevere said. "Merlin's apprentice sent these people to us for help; one of them remains free from the Dark One: the child. Her child."

Sir Kay frowned in thought. "You believe the boy is meant to be here."

"Yes. Not the former queen with her magic, and not the others from the Enchanted Forest…but this child from the other world, the son of the Dark One."

Arthur looked to Kelemon, a gleam in his eye. "So you see, my dear…our friends may have the appearance of defeat, but all is not lost. There is still hope."

"But what do you propose we do to help this child?" Sir Kay asked.

The king was quiet for a long while. Finally, he said, "We trust him. We take care of him. We give him access to all of Merlin's work, and trust that the sorcerer will guide him, as he has all of us even after his death."

Kelemon leaned forward. "But what do we tell him about his family?"

"Nothing," Sir Gawain said quickly; she looked at him in surprise. "Not yet. It's much too soon, and if he is anything like the rest of his family, he will want to take action. It was enough of a battle to convince him to stay behind the first time."

"Lying to him doesn't seem to go hand in hand with trusting him, or Merlin."

"You're right, Kelemon," Guinevere said softly, "but he is still a child. I say we do not volunteer this information because he will only worry; however, if he asks us, we will tell him the truth. We'll keep no secrets from him."

…..

"What have you done?" Emma asked, her eyes filled with hatred.

Truly it was less about the what—it was the how that concerned her. With Rumplestiltskin dying (or dead), and Regina under Emma's influence, there was no one left whose powers could even hope to challenge her own. Her mind raced. It was possible she had made another mistake in assuming the dragon had only allied herself with Regina, hoping to protect her in the Enchanted Forest. But this entrapment required power and quick thinking—something she had assumed Storybrooke had gone without while their leaders were in another realm.

"I'd say we've done quite well," Granny answered. "Caught ourselves a Dark One on the first try."

Emma ground her teeth and glanced over at Regina; the other woman had a hand to her head and was staring at the bars of their cage. She hadn't said a word, but her eyes said everything—Emma's magic was starting to lose its effect.

She could still feel her powers—the cell couldn't remove them, its enchantments could only stop her from using them. She slammed her hands against the bars in frustration; she had been in here before, and only escaped because of the squid ink Rumplestiltskin had left behind on parchment.

She would never get her son this way.

"You're going to regret this. All of you," she seethed.

Granny lowered the rifle as Lily came back into view. Lily hesitated when she saw Emma watching her, then said, "She's on her way."

The Dark One raised an eyebrow at the young woman who was trying her best to appear confident in front of her, but was failing miserably. "You've lived your whole life without your mother, but now you won't take action without her? My, aren't we regressing."

She watched the ever-present darkness cross Lily's face before Granny said, "That's enough out of you."

Emma leaned against the bars, eyes only for her friend. "Finding your parents isn't all it's cracked up to be, is it? I've found that the Enchanted Forest casts a very long shadow. Those who were in charge in their realm are given the same power in ours…even though they know nothing of our world. Not like we do, Lily. Not like you do."

"I know what you're trying to do…" Lily started.

"Don't let them take your power. You were always smart, you were always resourceful; if people from their realm hadn't stacked the deck against you, you could have had anything you wanted in this world. They took your power from you back then…don't give it to them now." Emma smiled. "Not now, when you have so much more."

"Stop twisting things; I haven't given away any part of myself."

Emma saw the glint in Lily's eyes, the gold of the serpent fighting through. Good. "Please, you've rolled over completely for these people. You've spent your life trying to find yourself and as soon as you did, you gave her away."

Lily charged; Granny grabbed her by the arm before she made it to the cell, which was disappointing. However, it was good to know that even without her magic she still had the desired effect on people.

"If you can't control yourself around her," Granny said, her voice low, "then you shouldn't be here. That isn't Emma; it's the Dark One. And she's trying to get you going, see what you'll do."

"Not that it matters," Emma said, "since you'll even let the cook tell you what to do."

"You used me."

The Dark One blinked, thrown by the quiet voice; she looked over at Regina, whose eyes glistened with emotion, her jaw tight. "What?"

"You used me, to get to our son." As Regina pushed herself to a standing position, Emma saw her trembling…and it wasn't with fear. "It was so easy," she whispered. "You just…slipped right inside my head. And you…you took something." She looked out at Granny, her eyes wide. "The others, are they…?"

Granny nodded. "They all made it back in one piece, though we're trying to restore their memories."

Regina was shaking her head at Emma, her hands clenched into fists. "Something happened. Something big. Some of my thoughts are just…jumbled. But this…this thing I can't remember. It's a huge blank space of time for me, but trying to focus on it makes me feel…it makes my heart ache in my chest." She took a step toward the Dark One. "What. Did you do."

Emma glared at her, irritated to be faced with the same question about the same incident yet again. She couldn't answer her—Regina had reacted poorly when she'd witnessed Emma saving Robin firsthand; she certainly wasn't going to bring it up while trapped with the other woman in a cage. She grit her teeth. "I didn't do anything you didn't ask me to do, Regina."

"Regina."

Maleficent had entered the cavern; she gave the two of them the once-over and sighed. "I am so sorry to have trapped you as well—we weren't sure what to expect so we planned for the worst." She gave Emma a wry smile. "And we've gotten it, haven't we?"

The Dark One glared. "If it wasn't for your amulet, she would have been sent back with the others."

"Leaving you alone in the Enchanted Forest to kidnap her son?"

Emma wrapped her hands around the bars of her cell. "Henry is my son. They abandoned him in Camelot, and now he's trapped there. They endangered him, not me. I'm trying to get him home. We only came back here for your help."

Maleficent raised an eyebrow at Regina. "Is that the truth?"

Regina was shaking her head again. "I…I don't know."

The dragon softened. "That's all right."

Their dynamic angered Emma; Regina was supposed to be on her side. They had crossed realms together, multiple times, for their family. For Emma's family. She ground her teeth together, trying to gain access to her magic through sheer force of will—these people were working together to keep her from what rightfully belonged to her. Henry was hers. Regina, her parents, all hers. Maleficent, Lily, Granny…they had trapped her like an animal, when she had never done anything to them, and in fact had yet to do anything worth punishment or anger. She had protected herself from the wolf. She had saved a man's life even though he meant to kill her. She had sent everyone home, and had taken Regina to try to save their son.

They had all turned against her, frightened of what she had become. They had assumed the worst. They didn't see that with her powers she could give them everything they wanted; all they could think about was the darkness, assuming it was evil, forgetting the Savior was underneath all of it, controlling it, bending it to her will.

They didn't understand and they didn't care to try.

Emma turned to Regina. "You said you trusted me, that trust is how we work."

Regina glared at her. "I trust Emma; you're clearly something else. Because Emma would never violate my mind like that." She took a step closer. "But you didn't hesitate. You didn't trust me with something, so you just took it to make sure I wouldn't question you again."

Emma shook her head and stalked to the other side of their cell.

"We'll find what it was, Regina," Maleficent said. "In time. For now, everyone is safe."

"But my son is in another realm," Regina said, her voice tight with emotion. "He's…"

"He's safer there," the dragon said quietly. "Don't you agree? The story from the others is you all left him in Camelot because the outside world couldn't touch him there. You'll get Henry back, Regina, but now…" she fixed her gaze on the Dark One, who glowered. "Now would not be the ideal time for him to return."

Regina closed her eyes and nodded. "You're right."

Emma was seething.

Regina leaned against the bars. "Mal…there's something I need you to keep for me."

Her magic may have been contained, but even without it there was one thing Emma Swan had over Regina Mills any day: brute strength. When she saw Regina reach under her jacket for the dagger, she threw herself across their enclosure and tackled her to the ground. Regina fought back, managing to twist herself around so they were face to face. The brunette's eyes bored into hers; the amount of anger behind those eyes was unexpected, and Regina took full advantage of Emma's hesitation to jab an arm into her throat.

As the Dark One reeled, choking and gasping for breath, Regina was able to shove her away. By the time Emma had recovered enough to grab Regina by the arm, the other woman had already thrown the dagger through the bars of the cell. Emma hauled her up and slammed her into the wall. "How could you give control of my life to her? Do you hate me that much?"

Regina's eyes were burning coals. "In this moment," she spat, "Yes."

Outside of the cage, Maleficent was staring down at the dagger, her hands clenching and unclenching. Lily stepped forward. "Mom," she said quietly. "Just leave it."

The Dark One's eyes flashed; she shoved Regina away and pressed against the bars. "Leave it, dragon. Listen to your pup, for once. She's smarter than you let her show."

But Maleficent ignored her and looked at Regina. "You would give this to me?"

"I would keep us all safe," Regina answered, "which means keeping the dagger away from the Dark One."

Maleficent nodded once. Lily stepped forward: "Mother. No."  
But Maleficent stepped aside and gestured to Granny. "You have to take it."

The old woman growled. "Like hell I do. That's all I need."

"Take it," Maleficent continued, "and hide it; don't tell us where. Don't tell anyone where. The dagger…it's too much." She cleared her throat. "And not all of us are above such temptation."

Lily put a hand on her arm as Granny reluctantly picked up the dagger. With a last dark look at Emma, the old woman vanished into the cavern.

The Dark One slammed her fists against the bars of her cage in frustration. "I will not be kept prisoner again. Ever." She locked her eyes on the dragon. "When I get out of here, you are going to pay dearly for your interference. All I want is what is mine."

"Mmm," Maleficent said, crossing her arms. "That's the trouble with the darkness though, isn't it? You think everything is yours."

…

Mary Margaret sat watch next to Ruby's hospital bed, gently holding her best friend's hand. Mulan was in the adjacent bed, so the two wouldn't be kept apart. Mary Margaret felt her husband's strong hand on her shoulder and leaned back into him. "Hi."

"Hi." He set a to-go cup on the windowsill. "Thought you might like some coffee."

She squeezed his hand and took a sip, grateful.

Her heart shattered into a million pieces every time she looked at her best friend, but she couldn't stay away either. One thought kept sounding over and over in her head: Your daughter did this. Emma had meant to kill Ruby, who had sensed the Dark One immediately. There had been no fooling the wolf. But the rest of them…

They had been fools indeed. Tears burned behind her eyes as she watched the shallow rise and fall of Ruby's chest, then Mulan's as they breathed. The doctors had assured them that the two women would recover, but it would take time. What was less clear was how they would clear their heads of the false memories Emma had created. She was grateful, more than ever, for Leroy—had the dwarf not returned to Storybrooke before them, there was a chance they never would have known the truth of the attack in the cabin.

Unfortunately, they still had no idea what had happened after that. Everyone had returned to Storybrooke in one piece (except Henry of course, but he was safe in Camelot). And yet there was a sense of unease…

Specifically, whenever Mary Margaret looked at Robin, something in the far back of her mind struggled to come forward. He had been given a clean bill of health, like herself and David, and had wanted to get back to his son as soon as possible; his relief at holding Roland in his arms again had been palpable. He had vanished back into his camp with his merry men, wanting to focus on his family…but he hadn't worried much about Regina's absence. Perhaps that was what ate away at Mary Margaret; had Robin's memories been affected so much that he felt less for the woman he loved? And if so, why would Emma have done that? She couldn't shake the feeling that whatever it was that they couldn't remember involved Robin in some way.

David settled in the chair next to hers with a sigh. "I don't like waiting."

"I know," she soothed, "but the others are right—we're no good to them if our minds have been messed with. Hopefully Maleficent will come up with a potion soon."

"Those are words I never thought you'd say."

She gave him a wry smile, squeezed his hand, and took another sip of her coffee.

…..

Regina watched the Dark One pace their cell. She sat with her back to the stone wall, her stomach in knots.

She had been taken in so completely, and so quickly, by the Dark One's manipulations that it frightened her. She had led the Dark One to her son, she had helped her get to Storybrooke…all within an hour of being with her. Only now, in the cage that contained their magic, was Regina able to begin to sort out what was real.

"The magic at the barrier to Camelot," she began. "It wasn't threatening Henry—it was doing what it was supposed to. It was protecting him from you. That's the truth?"

Emma didn't answer; she had started pressing on various stones around the cell, looking for a weakness.

Regina continued. "And I never taught you to control your darkness at all. You planted those memories." She thought of other ones that had been planted—warm, domestic scenes between them, some even with Henry, designed to get her to love and trust the Dark One as she loved and trusted Emma. Her cheeks burned red with frustration. "And we didn't find you: you took me."

"I had been looking for you," Emma snapped. "You didn't react well to being found. I thought you were in danger."

Regina shook her head. "Is that what you did? Hid everything from me that I reacted poorly to?"

"A lot happened at once, Regina. There wasn't time to coddle you with explanations."

Regina gestured around the empty cavern; Lily was guarding them from the main area of the tunnels, and Mal and Granny had left to deal with the dagger and update the others. "We've got time now."

Emma pushed at another rock. "No."

"You needed me to trust you. That was important to you, for your plan, wasn't it?"

Emma stilled and glanced over her shoulder; for just an instant, Regina swore she could see the real Emma looking through the Dark One's eyes. "It's better when we're together."

"What is?"

The blonde turned back to the cave wall. Regina sighed. "You can't force trust. It's frustrating; believe me, I know. Spells, manipulations…they don't last, and that's if they work at all. You can't substitute the real thing." The Dark One continued to ignore her. "If it wasn't for Henry…Emma and I might never have learned to trust each other. But if nothing else, we each trusted the other to put our son first. And from there, we were able to start to rely on each other for other things."

"Do your ramblings have a point?"

Regina pursed her lips. "Right now I don't even believe that you wouldn't hurt Henry, so we have a long way to go before there's trust. But you can start by telling me the truth, if you talk to me at all."

"I want my family here, Regina. I want to see my son. I lost all of you, and for a while I didn't know what was real and what wasn't." The Dark One frowned. "But now I do, and I won't go back to that again. The darkness doesn't do well when I'm lost. The longer Henry is away…" Emma stopped abruptly.

Regina sat up straighter. "What does Henry have to do with the darkness?"

Green eyes focused on her, glittering in the limited light of the cave.

Regina stood up. "Emma—tell me."

Outside of the cell there came a muffled thump, then other sounds of a scuffle. Regina turned and gripped the bars, squinting into the shadows to try to see what was happening. She couldn't see a thing, and then all was still. A lone figure came striding toward them; her blood ran cold at the sight of him.

Emma was next to her in an instant, a warm smile fixed on her face. "Killian. You came for me."

The insufferable idiot flashed a smile at her. "Of course I did love. Did you really doubt that I would?"

Once she recovered from the sight, Regina's anger returned to her full force. "What in the hell are you doing here? What did you do to Lily?"

Hook glared at her and cocked his head to the side. "I gave that wannabe sheriff what was coming to her. She wasn't going to stand between me and the woman I love."

Emma's demeanor had completely changed; she now appeared soft, gentle even. Her eyes never left Hook's. It was all an act of course, but the pirate would fall for it hook, line, and sinker. "I knew you would rescue me," she breathed.

"In case you hadn't noticed," Regina growled, "this is a magical imprisonment, and I doubt Maleficent gave you a key."

"She didn't need to," he gloated as he whipped out a bottle. "With the crocodile…indisposed….it's rather simple to help yourself to some of his more magical items. Especially when the town thinks you're in the hospital."

Emma wrapped her hands around the bars of the cell, a look of deep concern on her face. "Oh Killian, the hospital! Were you hurt?"

Her simpering tone made Regina ill.

"I'm fine, love. And more importantly—I have the squid ink needed to release you."

"Don't," Regina snapped. "Even you can't be so stupid as to let the Dark One free. Didn't you try to tell me how much you knew about them? From your years of making mistakes?" Her answer was another dark look from the pirate. "Don't make another one, Hook. You can't let us out."

He stepped closer to the bars. "And I told you—I love Emma, and she loves me. And that is the most powerful magic there is."

"I trust you, Killian," Emma whispered; Regina's heart sank.

The pirate beamed. "Aye, love. And I trust you."

In a last-ditch effort, Regina said, "Fine. You want me to beg you? I'm begging you, Hook: don't do this. Please."

Her words fell on deaf ears; the pirate was convinced that all that was needed to save them from the Dark One was the love he claimed to have for Emma. Regina closed her eyes as Hook uncorked the bottle and splashed the contents across the bars of the cage; the bars dissolved, and the Dark One ran forward to sink into the pirate's embrace. Regina started to shake, though whether it was with anger or sadness she couldn't say; she stayed within the confines of the cell, unwilling to step out where the Dark One now had her powers.

Hook brushed Emma's hair out of her eyes and smiled, his eyes wet. "Now love: what do you say we get out of here, and find some way to get your son back?"

Emma wiped her eyes and nodded. "I would love that. You'll help me?"

"Of course."

"Emma!"

The look the Dark One gave her was not the one she had given Hook moments before. "Emma, please: don't hurt our son."

Hook grabbed her arm. "How dare you suggest Emma would ever hurt Henry when you were the one who lied to him, the one who…"

But Emma placed a hand on Hook's arm and steered him away. "Give us a moment." When his eyes narrowed, Emma kissed him softly. "It will be all right, I promise." Though he was clearly not happy about it, Hook stepped away from them. The Dark One eyed Regina before slipping back into the cell herself. "Is that better?"

Regina shook her head, her eyes wet with tears of rage and sadness. "I'm not going to let you hurt him."

"Please don't worry, Regina."

Emma stepped forward, and before Regina knew what was happening, the Dark One was kissing her. She was too startled to pull away; the gentleness surprised her, and the warmth…finally she gasped and pushed Emma back. "What was that?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"A promise."

Regina blinked. "Of…of what?"

But Emma only reached out and brushed a tear from her cheek. Regina closed her eyes…but then something occurred to her and she felt her face grow hot. "You're not treating me any different than your pirate," she whispered. "You're seducing me, telling me what I want to hear."

The Dark One sighed and withdrew her hand. "What else would you have me do?"

Regina remembered herself and stood a little straighter. "Tell me something, anything, that is the truth. No half-truths, no manipulations. Tell me the truth and I'll know there's hope."

Emma nodded. "Very well." But she held up a finger and stepped back, outside of the cell, where her magic returned to her. "Your rescue party in the Enchanted Forest was a mess. Robin tried to control me with the dagger, and then he attacked me. He fell on the blade and was near death. You begged me to save him so I did." She raised an eyebrow. "I took the life of a villager—I needed his heart, his life force. There was no other way. None of you reacted well, so I changed your memories. It seemed the best way to keep everyone safe."

Now the tears did fall, and Regina didn't try to stop them; she stared silently at the Dark One.

"That's twice now I've done as you asked, and twice that you seem to regret asking. Be careful next time."

Emma turned and walked to Hook, who was waiting in the darkness of the cavern; she took his arm, and they vanished.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who sticks around in spite of delays in posting! Your comments and kudos are the best. This is a shorter chapter than I normally post, but the arc landed where I wanted it to...also I'm in the middle of changing jobs and moving lol so I was afraid that if I didn't post it would be an **unforgivably** long time until I did. Thanks so much for reading:)

 

"I want to see her," Mary Margaret said.

Maleficent cocked her head to the side. "Another terrible idea from the Charming family; what a surprise."

David crossed the hospital room to stand in Mal's face. "She is our _daughter."_

"Why do you insist on saying that all the time? Do you think the good people of Storybrooke will forget the Dark Savior sprang from your loins if you don't tell them daily?" Maleficent shuddered.

"I need to see her," Mary Margaret insisted. "I…"

Granny slipped into the hospital room behind Maleficent and made her way to her granddaughter's side; both Ruby and Mulan were still unconscious. She pushed her glasses up on her head and rubbed her eyes. "Trust me, Snow; you don't need to see her like that. I know you believe you can reach the part of the Dark One that is still Emma, but…you can't. Not right now."

Mary Margaret's anger gave way to fear; David wrapped an arm around her when he saw the look on her face. "We have to try," he said.

Granny didn't answer him.

"You can't do anything until you're back to yourselves," Mal said, "and that includes knowing what happened in the Enchanted Forest. Belle should be here any moment with a potion to restore your memories." She gave the Charmings a hard look. "We have to be careful. Emma wasted no time in sending you back here, brainwashing Regina, trying to kidnap Henry, and sending herself across realms. Your rescue party was no match for her. It's possible that none of us are."

David looked as though he wanted to argue, but found he had nothing to say.

Moments later, Belle appeared in the doorway with several glass vials and a book in her hands. "I've prepared it as you instructed," she said. She held a corked bottle out to Maleficent. "This is the water from the well, to restore what was lost; it couldn't be mixed in until you were ready to say the enchantment."

Mal nodded her approval; with Belle's assistance, she distributed the water to each of the vials while reciting the spell from the book. The liquid in the vials glowed a vibrant blue before settling into a darker shade. "There," she said; she held one out to David. "I assume you're to be our guinea pig?"

He downed the contents of the vial, shook his head at the bitter taste, and coughed. Suddenly he grew very quiet, and his eyes went wide.

"David?" his wife placed a hand on his arm. "David, are you all right?"

"Did it work?" Belle asked.

David pressed his lips together and shook his head. "I'm fine. It…it worked." He looked at Mary Margaret sadly.

Mary Margaret grabbed her own vial and drank her dose of the potion; soon her face matched her husband's.

Maleficent crossed her arms, impatient. "Well? Do you remember?"

"Yes," Mary Margaret said, her voice tight.

"And?"

David cleared his throat. "We have to find Robin."

But before they could go anywhere, a rich purple mist started to swirl; when it cleared, Lily's unconscious form was on the floor before them.

…

"Are you sure you're all right? When you mentioned the hospital, I…"

Killian waved away her concern. "That was nothing, love, it was just where they tried to keep me from rescuing you. I'd already broken out of their jail cell." He gave a shrug. "Where else would they put me?"

She let him fold her into his arms. Just when she thought her friends in Storybrooke were one step ahead of her, she found herself in the company of a true ally. Killian didn't demand the truth as Regina did; he needed the world to fit his own vision of what the truth should be. The Dark One could give him what he wanted, and in return he would follow her to the ends of the earth.

She squeezed him tighter.

Killian ran a gentle hand through her hair. "And what about you? Are you all right?"

She tilted her head up and kissed him. "I will be."

They walked to the end of the pier and settled on a bench overlooking the harbor; the sun had mostly set, casting a warm glow over everything. Killian wrapped an arm around her, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. "You must have been terribly frightened," he murmured. "Ripped away from your home, your friends and family. The people that love you. You can tell me, you know; you're safe with me."

"I know," she said; she traced the buttons on his shirt with a finger. "Honestly, the scariest moment was when I thought I was coming home…and instead I found myself in that cage."

She felt him stiffen. She could even hear the grinding of his teeth. "They shouldn't have done that. For people who preach incessantly about the power of love, they didn't show you any."

"It's all right…"

"No it's not. The moment you became the Dark One they stopped trusting you. They gave up on you, Emma, when you needed love most. If only I'd been a little faster, then I would have beaten them to the Enchanted Forest. If only I'd have been the one to find you, then maybe…"

"Shhh," she soothed. "It's not your fault. You were there for me when I needed you most; you freed me from that cell. Without you…well, they could have kept me there forever."

Killian's arm tightened around her. "I wish I could just take you away from here. You don't need their accusations, their suspicions. You need your son, and a place to feel safe and loved. And I…I'm afraid I have very little to actually give you, Emma, but I can give you my heart and promise to help you figure everything out."

Emma leaned back to look into his eyes. "I've never had anyone in my life like you."

He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"And I want to thank you, Killian. I want to show you how much you mean to me."

He raised an eyebrow. "Is that right? Well, aren't I the lucky man?"

"I hope you think so. I used my powers to summon something for you on our walk here."

Killian blinked. "You…wait, what?"

"It should be here any moment. There." Emma pointed over the dark waters to the ship that was coming into port.

The pirate stood up and walked to the railing, his face unbelieving. "Is that…?"

"The Jolly Roger? I'm so sorry, Killian, but it's not. In time I can find it for you, but I hope that until then, this ship will do. It's similar to your vessel, and though I know nothing could replace her, I had hoped this could maybe be a home for us for a little while."

He turned to her, still confused. "Us?"

Emma stepped closer and took his hand. "Unless you think we're moving too fast. I could always find myself another…"

"No," he said firmly. He pulled her close. "This is remarkable, Emma. I don't know what to say. This…this is the most amazing gift I've ever been given."

"I'll protect it with enchantments, of course. And once I've regained my strength, perhaps…"

"…we can use it to find Henry. Yes. Oh Emma," he beamed, "they were foolish to bet against you."

…

Regina was a mess.

All that she could think about was the broken, shattered man Daniel had become when a foreign heart was shoved into his chest. He had begged for death, and she had given it to him. She didn't think she had it in her to kill the only other man she'd ever loved, but she was trying to prepare herself for the very real possibility that she would have to do precisely that. She appeared in the forest, not far from Robin's camp, and as she raced over she tried to ignore the heartbreaking voices that reminded her she would be leaving Roland an orphan, and Robin's unborn child would never know him.

Out of breath and sick with worry, she finally spotted the campground of the Merry Men. As she pushed her way through, she was intercepted by Little John. "Regina, what is it?"

She pushed her hair out of her face. "It's Robin. I have to see him. I have to make sure…"

"Regina?"

Robin pushed his way out of a tent, Roland at his heels clutching what looked like a tiny woodcarving. "Robin," she breathed. She ran to him, threw her arms around him, and started sobbing with relief. She felt his strong hands on her back, heard him whisper into her hair, but she didn't hear the words; just his heartbeat. He was all right. Everything was all right.

The Merry Men, ever supportive, gave them some space. Robin brought Regina to one of the campfires and placed a blanket around her shoulders; in time, she regained control of herself, and with a last shuddering breath felt her darkest fears leave her. "I'm so sorry," she said quietly. "I hope I didn't frighten Roland with my appearance, I just…"

"Roland is fine, Regina. It's you I'm worried about. You didn't return with us, we didn't know what had happened to you." He looked her up and down. "What _did_ happen to you?"

"Emma separated us, and took me to try to get Henry out of Camelot. It didn't work," she assured him. "Henry is still there, safe from…from all of this. When we came back to Storybrooke, the others had constructed a prison that could contain the Dark One, and we ended up there. But Hook let her out and now…"

"The Dark One is free. Here."

She closed her eyes. "Yes."

"Did she hurt you?"

Regina blinked, unsure of how to answer. Emma as the Dark One frightened and unnerved her, manipulated her with ease. She made Regina doubt her own mind. But the shorter answer was, "No. I'm all right."

"I'm so very happy to hear that."

"And you? You're…ok? After the Enchanted Forest?"

He squirmed a bit and looked away. "I am. I take it from the way you appeared in camp that something happened. My memory seems to be missing a few pages."

Regina hesitated, unsure of how to proceed. "Yes. Something. But the Dark One took our memories of it."

"But you know what it is."

"Emma told me, as a gesture of faith."

"Faith." Robin gave a quiet laugh. "In the Dark One."

Regina pursed her lips and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

"I take it this incident involved me in some way. And it was bad enough for you to think I was dead."

"Yes. And you deserve to…"

But Robin held up a hand. "I don't want to know."

"What?"

"Regina." Robin pressed his hands together and stared into the fire; the tendrils of worry appeared in her heart. "Since we've been back, I've felt…differently…about Storybrooke, and the life I'm building for my son here. And though I can't remember what it was, I know something must have happened in the other realm to…well, to set my priorities straight."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…before we went searching for the Dark One, I don't think I was behaving the way I normally do. I was erratic at best, impulsive and foolish at worst. I left my son behind to fight some all-powerful darkness when I myself have no magic and could have left Roland an orphan."

The worry spread out and seemed to fill her very soul as she listened to his words.

"And now, I look at Roland and I see…well, everything. I see my whole life, the dreams that I had for him, the desire to ensure that he would grow up safe and strong. He already lost his mother, twice, because of magic. He doesn't deserve the kind of life I've given him so far, I know that to be true. So you see…whatever happened in the Enchanted Forest…I don't want to know what it was. Ever. Because I don't want to question this newfound clarity."

"I…I…"

"Please, Regina." He took her hands in his. "If you ever loved me, please respect my decision for my family."

"Of…of course I will, you're right. Our children deserve the best we can give them."

"And can you honestly say that I've given my child my best?"

"I won't let you speak as though you've _neglected_ him, Robin. Roland thinks the world of you, and part of that is because you're a hero. You've helped so many people, and that's important for him to see."

Robin sighed and shook his head. "Our children love us because they're our children, Regina. They trust that when _they_ need a hero, we will be the first ones there. I stopped putting Roland first, and I need to make some changes so that doesn't happen again."

"Of course, if there's anything I can…" Robin looked away from her again and shifted his weight; her brow furrowed. "Wait. You said if I ever loved you I'd respect your decision. Did you forget that I loved you? That I still love you, with everything I have?"

"Regina…"

The tone in his voice. Regina finally heard it. She had been so afraid that he was caught between life and death that she hadn't stopped to think about what could have happened if putting someone else's heart in his body had _worked._ And it clearly had worked.

Robin Hood, a man who loved life and family, was alive.

But her soul mate was gone.

"Regina, I know we had something. I do remember that. And I don't want to cause you any pain, but I…"

"…you don't feel it." Her breathing was shallow, her own words echoing in her ears.

"I want to."

_He's alive._ Her brain kept trying to be heard over her broken heart. _Robin is alive, and he is happy, and he loves his son. Roland did not lose his father._ The thoughts kept repeating in her head, over and over, until she stood up and started walking away from camp to try to block them out. It didn't work, and Robin followed her.

"Regina, I'm so sorry. I don't know what else to say, but it's true. I want to remember what that fire between us was like, but if I knew what I was missing…" he threw up his hands.

"Then you would try to get it back," she whispered.

He clenched his hands into fists. "If I remembered. Yes. And trying to find something I don't feel anymore…Regina, it could cost me my son. And I…I can't do that to Roland." He brushed tears from his eyes and sighed. "I _won't."_

Regina nodded, numb. "What are you going to do?"

Robin shoved his hands in his pockets. "We're going to leave: my men, Roland, and I. Once we leave, it's difficult to get back, and the magic and the darkness can't follow us. We're leaving Storybrooke, as soon as we can."

The words came automatically: "I can help. I have access to funds on the outside, enough to cover the costs of establishing a life wherever you want."

"It wouldn't be much. I've tried the city, and I don't think that would suit us. Perhaps if we had some land of our own we could…"

"Whatever you need."

They stood in terrible silence as the reality of the situation struggled to set in.

"What about Zelena?" Regina said softly.

Robin nodded. "I hadn't forgotten."

"You…you would leave your child to…"

He held up a hand to stop her. "I am not abandoning any of my children, Regina. But I have awhile yet before my second child is born, and in that time I need to establish a new life for my family. Zelena is…unhinged…however, I don't believe she would ever harm our baby. You or me, perhaps, but never her child."

A selfish thought struggled to the surface and was given voice. "If I hadn't gotten back to Storybrooke, and made it to your camp…would you have left without saying goodbye?"

Robin hung his head. "If I had to, Regina. Yes."

There was nothing to be done. She couldn't tell him what had happened to him. It did no good to wish things were different, because if things were different Robin could be dead or worse. She closed her eyes and pulled the blanket back around her shoulders. She heard Robin approach and felt his hand, tentative, on her back.

"I am truly sorry, my dear Regina. I hope in time you will be able to forgive me for my change of heart."


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for continuing to read, share, review, and message me:) I'm glad you're enjoying the tale. Lots of real life stuff led to the delay in this chapter, and next month is NaNoWriMo but I will still update here when I can (the outline is complete-this will not be an abandoned tale!). By way of apology, here's a 5k word chapter :D I do try to make the time away count!

Henry ran a finger along the spine of a thick, leather-bound book, tracing the title that had been lightly burned into it. As he did, he gazed at the rest of them on the shelf, all similarly bound.

Merlin had written them all.

In fact, the vast majority of the books in Merlin's tower had been written by the sorcerer: they contained his observations of nature, mathematical formulas, sketches, theories…and spells. So many spells and enchantments, and so many of them written in a strange kind of shorthand. Henry assumed the shorthand was a form of code for only Merlin himself to understand, to further protect the world from magic falling into the wrong hands. Some sections were less difficult to understand, and Henry kept his own notes of what he thought some of Merlin's theories meant, but so far he hadn't had any breakthroughs with regards to saving his mother from the power of the Dark One.

He knew the answers were in the tower. He just didn't know where.

Sir Percival sighed and closed the book he'd been looking through. "I'm sorry lad. I found nothing in this one either. I'm afraid I've been little help to you."

Henry gave the knight a small smile. "You've been a great help; you've saved me from reading through that one myself."

Sir Percival nodded. "That's three down, yes?"

"Yes." Henry gazed back over the shelves that covered the walls of the tower. "Only about eight hundred or so to go." His eyes fell on the smaller shelf where old and odd objects had been pushed aside in order to retrieve the item behind them—the small, blank book that the dagger had led his mother to. He wondered what it had revealed outside of Camelot, and if it had been enough.

He swallowed, worried. What if they'd all put their faith in the wrong magical object? What if they had found Emma, or she'd found them, and they were completely powerless before her? It felt to him like his family had only just left, but that made it worse; he had no idea how much time had passed on the outside. Anything could have happened.

"Are you all right, Henry?"

Henry closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath before putting on a brave face. "I am. Just a little lost in my thoughts."

"Of course. Is there anything I can do?"

Henry stepped over to one of the few, thin windows and stared out at the tree in the courtyard, his heart sinking. "No."

….

Maleficent sat as still as a statue in the chair next to her daughter's hospital bed. It was taking every ounce of her self-control to not transform, as she wanted to, and breathe brimstone and hellfire through all of Storybrooke. Lily was fine; she'd only suffered a bump on the head. It was her own negligence that Maleficent couldn't stand.

The only person stupid enough to assist the Dark One would be Killian Jones, who should never have been an issue at all…except that instead of a sleeping curse, she had administered a sleeping potion, and in the excitement she hadn't made sure Hook was adequately dosed up. He had awoken and slipped out of his binds at the worst possible time.

And it was her fault.

She seethed, but kept her breath as even as possible. Maleficent could feel the fire churning inside of her, and she fought to keep it down. Roasting the town wouldn't help any of them in the long run.

It would just feel really, really good.

"Maleficent?"

She opened one eye at the intruder—the librarian, Belle. She sighed. Whatever problems Maleficent had, at least she was one of the few people in town who was _not_ enamored with a Dark One in some way. "What is it."

Belle pulled a spellbook out from her satchel. "We've got to work quickly; a ship has appeared in the harbor."

Maleficent sat up straighter. "What kind of ship?"

"A…a pirate ship."

Mal clenched her teeth and glanced back at her daughter's sleeping form. Lily was going to be fine, she knew that; as reluctant as she was to leave her side, the larger battle was far from over. "We'll need reinforcements," she said. "Put a call out to the heroes. Have them meet us at Regina's vault."

…

"I see her." Mary Margaret pulled her husband's arm and pointed into the woods; there on the path walked Regina, a little unsteadily, her eyes red. Panic seized her heart; what if Emma had done something else, attacked Regina as she somehow managed to break out of their enchanted cell, stolen her heart, or worse. She ran over to her friend. "Regina? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine."

David and Mary Margaret exchanged a disbelieving glance. "Maleficent restored our memories; we came out here to find Robin because…" David hesitated. "Well, in the Enchanted Forest, Emma…"

"I know what she did," Regina said, her voice thick. "She told me."

Mary Margaret blinked. "She told you?"

"As a show of trust." Regina closed her eyes and didn't say anything else.

Mary Margaret put a gentle hand on her arm. "Did you see Robin?"

Regina gave her a pained look; she expected the worst to come from Regina's mouth, but instead the former queen said: "He's all right. He doesn't have his memories but…he doesn't want them, so please…please respect his wishes."

"But…"

"Mary Margaret." Regina took a deep breath and straightened up. "I can't say any more about this right now. Please just trust me, and promise me you'll do as I ask."

David nodded. "We promise. We're just glad he's all right; we feared the worst."

"Did Emma hurt you?" Mary Margaret asked.

Regina sighed. "No. She wanted me to help her get Henry out of Camelot, but…she couldn't get past Merlin's magic. Then that…that _idiot_ pirate showed up. He got his hand on some squid ink and let us out of the cell." She shook her head. "He was wrapped around Emma's finger before all of this; he's even worse now. We've got to find them."

David glanced down at his phone. "That might be easier than we thought."

…..

The vanishing sunlight wove through the forest trees, casting warm beams and cool shadows in the forest around the Mills' vault. Maleficent and Belle waited patiently until they saw the telltale purple mist that meant the others had arrived; as the mist cleared, Mal stifled a gasp at the sight of her friend. "Oh, Regina."

Regina looked as though she hadn't slept in days; her normally flawless façade had crumbled since she'd been released from the cavern. Worn eyes met her own. "Later, Mal. There's too much to get done." She rubbed her hands over her eyes and led them all underground, into the depths of the vault.

…

Emma slept through the night, and through most of the next day as well. While the benefits of being in the Enchanted Forest were many (including the ability to regain her strength much more quickly than she exhausted it), the drawback was much too large to ignore—the sorcerer's magic could sense her, and restrict her power. Overall she was much more powerful in Storybrooke, and with Killian watching over her, the danger to her while she recharged was minimal.

A measured risk.

"Good morning, love." Killian smiled at her from his desk, where he sat with a variety of food and drink. She still required neither, but had learned from her interactions with Mulan that to refuse caused great distress to the provider. She joined him, and gave him a kiss for good measure.

He smiled. "At this point, more of a good afternoon, I suppose. Are you feeling better?"

"Oh, much. The cabin is quite comfortable." She speared a piece of chicken and popped it in her mouth without tasting it. "Cozy and safe."

"Aye. And private."

She gave him a demure smile and kept putting food in her mouth. "I'm glad you like it."

"Like it? I love it. This is perfect for us." He brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I can take quite good care of you here, Emma. I will keep you safe, and loved. That I can promise."

She took his hand in hers. "Was there any activity on the pier last night?"

"Not a sound."

The Dark One leaned back in her chair. "Not a single person came to investigate the new ship in the harbor?"

The pirate blinked, doubting himself for a moment. He was afraid to answer her, afraid of disappointing her. He was afraid of being less than the only person she would ever need. She saw this, and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Well if that's true, then they must have decided we're the ones on board, and they're afraid to cross us. Don't you think?"

She felt him relax. "My thoughts exactly, love. But now that you've recovered, we should leave Storybrooke as soon as we can, so we can bring your son home before they find a way to stop us."

Emma smiled. It was so easy, with him. He thought her ideas were his, and he thought everything he did was for her. And he wanted to believe it so badly, that he would leap into action, any action, rather than think too deeply on it first. "Then let's set sail," she said.

She had no doubt that a quiet night could not bode well for them; Regina would have reconnected with the others by now, and they all seemed hell-bent on containing the Dark One. Emma hoped that they had turned their focus to the wrong priority—securing the dagger from her. She wanted it, of course, as it was her only weakness in this realm. But it was far more important to get her son out of Camelot and back where he belonged.

With a wave of her hand, she transformed her clothes from the white cloak to ones Killian found appealing—leggings, boots, and a soft white sweater. She gave her hair an extra bit of curl for good measure before she followed him up to the deck.

The captain had unfurled the sails and was steering out into open water. Emma leaned into his back and wrapped her arms around his chest; she felt him puff up with pride. Moments later she was at the very front of the vessel, magic coursing through her, and closed her eyes in order to focus on creating the proper portal to the Enchanted Forest.

Suddenly the ship bucked and heaved, as though it had hit rock. Emma whirled to face Killian, who was spinning the wheel in the other direction. The ship jolted again, throwing them both to the deck. "There shouldn't be anything there!" Killian shouted. "I've sailed these waters plenty of times."

Emma ground her teeth and righted herself; she leaned over the front of the ship and saw faint purple sparks whenever the ship came too close to an invisible line. Her eyes glowed. "Regina."

In the time it had taken her to recover her powers, the others had not only noticed the ship but erected a powerful barrier. Henry would have to wait; she would have to go after something else first after all.

She smiled in spite of herself; Regina hadn't wasted any time.

….

They were a peculiar alliance indeed, Maleficent thought, as Granny Lucas refilled their coffee. The Charmings, the long-suffering librarian, and herself, all stuffed in a booth, all recovering from a late night of magic and worry and now waiting for word of their success or failure.

They didn't have to wait long; Leroy came through the door and headed straight for them. "The ship is still here," he muttered.

Mary Margaret closed her eyes. "It worked."

"So now the only way out of Storybrooke is with magic beans," Belle said.

Mal raised an eyebrow. "Which are hidden from us. As is the Dark One's dagger."

The others exchanged glances. "We all agreed it was for the best," David said.

Mal rolled her eyes. "Yes and it is. But I suspect you put Granny here in charge of both, and that's a lot of pressure for one person. How do you know they're hidden well enough from the Dark One?"

Granny raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who handed me the dagger. You didn't even trust yourself to touch it. Trust me, it's safe."

"And the beans?"

The old woman shrugged. "If you want 'em, think you can do a better job with 'em, just say the word. But if you haven't found them yet, I say that's a point in my book."

Belle cleared her throat. "I think we've trusted each other so far, and that's worked out rather well. Besides, in my experience, the less often you move magical items the better—the Dark One is bound to notice in time. It's best to let them be once they're hidden."

"How is Gold?" Mary Margaret asked quietly.

Belle reached up to touch the pendant around her neck. "There hasn't been any change."

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right. I'm sort of taking it as a good sign; he hasn't gotten any worse."

David nodded. "Any word on the others?"

Granny wiped her hands on her apron. "Ruby and Mulan are recovering, but it's very slow."

"Lily is awake," Maleficent told them. "I'll be able to bring her home today."

Mary Margaret gave a smile. "A bit of good news, then."

Mal didn't say anything; she just sipped her coffee. They were all on the same side for now, and had built a tentative trust…but she couldn't forget what the Charmings had done to her, or that the Dark One was their beloved daughter.

…..

Regina sat in her office chair and stared…

At the stack of papers awaiting her attention. At the mantle above the fireplace. At the list of names for town council. She was asleep on her feet, if she was being honest, and the fact that she was sitting made little difference. She pulled open the bottom drawer of her desk, reached into the back, and pulled out a folded piece of paper. It was a drawing Henry had done when he was only five or six years old. Kindergarten. He had drawn his family—one little stick person with a red t-shirt on a swing, and a taller stick person next to him wearing a purple dress.

Both of them were smiling.

She closed her eyes and held the treasured artwork to her chest. It hadn't been happiness in those years as much as ignorant bliss; she could see that now. But what she wouldn't give to go back some days, and live forever in a loop of Henry's younger years.

Regina gave a shuddering sigh. That would be dreadfully unfair to him, of course, and she still wouldn't have been truly happy—they would have been hiding from the world, not living in it. And Henry had grown into such a remarkable young man, and she was so proud of him that sometimes her heart felt like it could burst.

Their family was much larger now, and it was good that her son had his grandparents and his uncle, some memories with his father.

And of course there was his other mother…

Regina's heart clenched. Emma. She wondered if it would have been less painful for the darkness to have taken her after all; she was used to a degree of darkness, but not seeing it in Emma. And after what had happened with Robin…

Regina wiped her eyes and pulled the drawing even closer to her heart. She wanted her son to come home. Her only comfort was that less time had passed for Henry inside of Camelot, so he couldn't worry as much. But before he could come home, home had to be safe.

And she had no idea how to make Storybrooke safe for him.

She folded the picture back up and slipped it back into her desk. There was nothing in the office that needed addressing more than their personal crisis with the Dark One, but it had given her a vague sense of normalcy to sit there for a little while. But now she needed to sleep, or there would be no chance of bringing Henry home any time soon.

The evening was quiet and uneventful; Regina wasn't hungry, so she mixed herself a drink and sank deep into a warm bath. Afterwards she wrapped herself in her robe and slipped into bed. She made a weak attempt to read, but it was no match for the comfort of her bed and gentle push of the alcohol; in very little time she was asleep.

_….._

_She was in the passenger's seat, trying to read in the light of the passing streetlamps as the car sped down the highway. She sighed in frustration._

_Emma gave a soft laugh from the driver's seat. "You're so stubborn."_

_Regina turned to her. "I was at a good part."_

_"You don't even know what you were reading; you've been asleep."_

_"That's not true."_

_Emma smiled. "All right then. If you can tell me what that book is about, I'll buy you dinner."_

_Regina frowned. "I…well, it's a classic." The smug look on Emma's face was infuriating; Regina gave up and leaned back against the window._

_Emma reached over and plucked the book from her hands. "There. Relax. There's plenty of time for that later, when you can actually see."_

_"How much farther?"_

_"That's up to you."_

_Regina blinked in confusion. "You're the one driving."_

_Emma didn't say anything more as they drove further into the night._

_….._

_"Mom!"_

_Regina opened her arms to catch her son as he ran up the path; as she held him, she looked over his shoulder to the woman who had brought him home. "Thank you," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "I was so worried about him."_

_The woman lingered at the far end of the walkway, her hands in her back pockets. "It was no trouble."_

_Regina wiped the tears from her eyes and ushered Henry inside before turning back to his savior. "It certainly must have been; you're not from around here."_

_"I'm Henry's birth mother."_

_Regina's heart skipped a beat. "Oh. I see."_

_"He found me."_

_Regina wrapped her arms around herself. "He's…tenacious."_

_"He could have been kidnapped or killed. Or worse. I live in Boston." The woman took a step forward. "What kind of mother are you?"_

_"How dare you…"_

_"He shouldn't be let out of your sight. Do you know what could have happened to him?"_

_Regina turned and looked up at Henry's bedroom window. He stared down at them with eyes that had gone completely black, writing down every word they said._

_….._

_"You're having a nightmare."_

_Regina's eyes flew open; her heart thundered in her chest. Emma sat on the edge of her bed, a look of concern on her face. Regina's brow furrowed; something wasn't right._

_"It's ok," Emma said softly. "I'm here."_

_"Where's Henry?"_

_"Safe. You made sure of that."_

_"What are you doing here?"_

_Emma placed a hand on her arm. "I'm making sure you're all right."_

_Regina closed her eyes as her breathing returned to normal. "How did you know?"_

_The other woman shrugged. "I can always tell, with you." She placed Regina's book back on the nightstand and gazed at her with great warmth. "And you always understand."_

_"Understand what?" Regina settled back into the pillows and blinked at her, curious._

_Emma leaned in, her touch gentle and comforting on Regina's cheek; Regina closed her eyes and gave in to the caress. A moment later she felt a soft kiss on her cheek, and she gave a sharp inhale—she wanted more. "Emma," she whispered, "I…"_

_…._

"I…"

But the lips that touched hers were colder now, and she greatly missed the warmth. She reached out and buried her hands in soft blonde waves, willing the warmth to come back. "Emma…"

And then all of a sudden Regina was truly awake. This was no dream. The Dark One sat on the edge of her bed, a pleased look on her face. "Regina," she purred. "That was quite a welcome."

Regina threw off the blankets and jumped to her feet. "What in the hell are you doing here? How did you even…"

"Oh please." Emma waved a hand. "You were too busy using your powers to strengthen the boundaries of Storybrooke to have spent any time on your own home."

Regina pulled her robe tight around her body in a weak attempt at regaining her dignity. "So you did try to leave."

"Of course. I only came here in the first place to try to find someone to help us get our son back. But now I see you're all against me."

"What are you doing here?" It was difficult. The woman before her looked like Emma and wore her clothes; hell, she _was_ Emma! But more, much more than that, she was the Dark One. Regina thought back to her dreams, tickling at the edge of her waking thoughts. "You…you were in my mind again. You were controlling my dreams."

Emma cocked her head to the side. "Judging from the sounds you were making I know you want to believe that." Regina flushed. "But no, I was not. It upset you before when I was in your mind; I won't do it again."

"How chivalrous." That left her more confused; she knew too much of magic to ignore her dreams, but if they weren't manipulations of the Dark One she couldn't think of what they could mean. "For the last time, why are you here?"

"I wanted to congratulate you on the barrier you constructed. You couldn't have had much time, but you've managed to trap me here." Emma raised an eyebrow. "You know, you could have just _asked_ me. We are friends, aren't we?"

"I want you to leave."

In a flash, Emma had gripped the front of Regina's robe and pressed her back against the wall. "That isn't true, Regina. You cast a spell to keep me from leaving, so here I am. Right where you want me."

Regina acted on pure instinct: with a burst of dark magic, she hurled Emma to the other side of the room. She kept her hand up and ready as the Dark One gave a short laugh and regained her footing.

"That was only fair, I suppose."

Regina's breathing was short and labored as her mind raced. What would she do if her son's other mother truly attacked her? Could she kill her? Did she even have the power?

Fortunately she didn't need to answer that question in her bedroom; Emma suddenly vanished in a twist of white smoke. Regina waited a few minutes exactly as she was. Then she heard a sound downstairs.

The whistle of a kettle.

Regina clenched her teeth. _Games. The Dark One is playing games with me._

She dared not ignore the other woman, but she took her time securing her robe and descending the stairs. When she eventually arrived in the kitchen, there were two steaming mugs of tea waiting, and Emma had tucked her hair back and over one shoulder. She looked almost…domestic. Hackles up, and her eyes never leaving the Dark One, Regina leaned on the island and took a mug. She gave it a sniff. "Poison?"

"Chamomile." Emma's hands were wrapped around her own mug, as though she were drawing strength from the heat. "I fear we've started off poorly, again."

"That will happen when you break into a person's home while they're sleeping." She glared. "And if you kiss them when they're not even awake."

"I needed to see you."

"Emma enough. Enough!" Regina ran a hand through her hair and took a calming breath. "All you've done since you found me is toy with me. I want so much to help you, to believe in you. You…" Her voice broke, to her embarrassment, though Emma didn't comment on it. Regina closed her eyes. "You and I…we've been through so much. I still want to help you, in spite of everything, if you'll just let me. If you'll tell me what you need." She looked at Emma; the Dark One's breathing had become shallow, and Emma wasn't meeting her gaze. "Emma…"

"I told you," Emma said softly. "I needed to see you."

"Why?"

"Because." The blonde tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes never leaving her tea. "Because it's easier, around you."

"What's easier?"

"Everything." Emma did look at her now, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. "Regina, the only time I feel any kind of peace is when I'm near you. The dark magic doesn't pull on me, all out of control, and the shadows…" she shook her head. "There are these shadows, always at the edge of my vision, and sometimes they threaten to overwhelm me completely. But with you…" Emma crossed her arms and pushed away from the island; she walked over to the other side of the room, her back to a speechless Regina. "When I'm with you, the shadows clear, and the darkness and the light seem balanced, and it's the only time I don't feel like I'm losing my mind."

Regina's heart thumped loudly in her chest. "Why…Emma, why didn't you just say that? Why the threats, and the games?"

Emma turned to face her and wiped angry tears from her eyes. "Because you already decided I'm not to be trusted. What was the point? And it hurt the most from you because…" she gave a shuddering sigh. "Because I expected you, more than anyone, to understand the struggle. And I am struggling, Regina, believe me. This is tearing me apart."

"Emma…" Regina watched her friend suffering, and her heart ached. Still, she hesitated. "Of course I understand the pull of the darkness. You know I do. But…I have to consider the others now."

"I know." Emma cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. I should go. You must find this all terribly confusing."

As Emma brushed past her, Regina reached out and put a hand on her arm. "Wait, just…wait." Emma turned to face her, and Regina found herself searching those hazel eyes for…something. Her mind raced. If she could actually help Emma, and stop all of this before anyone else got hurt…if she could bring her son home, and know he was safe, that they were all safe. "I…there must be something I can do. It's just us here now, you and me. I don't have to worry about anyone else's safety, and neither do you. What…what do you need?"

Emma swallowed. "Only to be with you. That's all that helps."

Regina took a breath and nodded. "And it quiets your mind?"

"It makes everything better."

Regina pressed a hand to her eyes; she knew she was potentially walking into a land mine. She knew what Mal would have to say. But she also thought of Henry, and how if there was any chance of saving his other mother she owed it to him to try. "There's a guest room upstairs. You don't have to creep in and out. You can stay there."

"Thank you," Emma whispered. She followed Regina up the stairs and down the hall, and peered in at the offered room with approval.

"Anything else?"

Emma shook her head, but surprised Regina by pulling her in for a hug; Regina blinked, then brought up her arms to hold her. Emma finally pulled back just enough to kiss Regina on the cheek; the former queen felt a shiver go up her back. "Why do you keep doing that?" Regina asked, her voice thick.

"What?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You know exactly what."

"I'm sorry," Emma said; her arms still held Regina close. "It grounds me, I guess. It lets me know you're really there. I'm sorry if it's hurting you."

"No, I…" Regina gripped the other woman's arms so she wouldn't pull away. "It's not _hurting_ me. It's…unexpected."

Emma nodded. "Sure. I'll stop. It was just…nice…to feel that connection to you."

"We _are_ connected," Regina assured her. "You're my family. I care about you. I _love_ you." She closed her eyes, overwhelmed. "I want you to be ok."

She knew it was coming; she felt Emma lean in, and suddenly she was pressed against the wall locked in a kiss, the other woman's hands in her hair and her own hands winding through thick blonde waves. She pulled back briefly for breath. "Emma…" She felt a stirring, a longing, in her gut that caught her completely by surprise. _You're out of control,_ her brain tried to tell her. _You've lost Robin, Henry's in another realm, you're alone, you're not thinking._

But then she _was_ thinking, of the sacrifices Emma had made for her, how she was the only other person who loved her son as much as she did, of the heartache and loss they'd both faced, and she didn't want to think anymore. _She wanted to feel._

She felt Emma push aside her bathrobe, she felt Emma's mouth on her neck, then her chest. She gasped when strong hands gripped her hips.

"Regina."

Regina shook her head. "Don't speak."

Emma stood and took her face in her hands; she kissed her roughly before pulling back and saying, "But I have to ask you—do you want me?"

And in spite of everything, Regina held her close and whispered, "…Yes. I want you." She felt Emma's lips against her ear and she shivered with pleasure.

"Good. Because the Darkness wants you too."


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all of my regular reviewers, as well as recent binge-readers who took the time to leave an encouraging comment:) NaNoWriMo went well but took me out of FF commission for a while, and for a time I was living in two different states...home now and back to writing! If you're enjoying the story please kudos and comment and share with others:) I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season--DHD

The blast of magic sent the Dark One crashing into the wall so hard it shattered a window, but Regina didn't let up; she let loose another volley of fireballs, again and again, as Emma laughed and blocked them. Regina _reached,_ and managed to pull the bed away from the wall and send it hurtling. As Emma turned to block it, Regina ripped the ceiling down above her and threw the dresser, now on fire, for good measure before vanishing in a purple mist.

…

Ruby awoke with a gasp. She clutched at her chest; the hammering of her heart was too strong, too fast, and it hurt. Her fingers grasped the roughness of a hospital gown, and she blinked.

When did she leave the Enchanted Forest?

Her eyes darted around; she was in a hospital room, hooked up to all manner of devices. She ripped the leads out and tried to get her breathing under control. Storybrooke. She had to be in Storybrooke.

Her pulse started to return to normal, until she glanced at the bed beside hers. "No," she whispered. "No, no, no."

Mulan was unconscious; Ruby slipped out of bed and stood next to her lover, completely helpless. She didn't see any marks on her, which was good, but…what were they doing here?

Suddenly her senses were flooded: a smell permeated Storybrooke just like it had in the other realm, the scent of the Dark One.

And Ruby remembered everything. She ground her teeth together. _Emma was the Dark One._ She had tried to attack her when she found the Dark One in their home with Mulan, but she'd been no match for her. _I should be dead. I was dying._ That was the last thing she could recall; acceptance of her own death. She stared down now at Mulan with an ache in her heart. "You did something," she whispered. "I don't know what, or how…but I know you." She leaned over and kissed her partner's forehead. "I have to find out what's happened. You'll be safe here. I _will_ be back for you."

Ruby reached under the pillow on her own bed and found her beloved cloak; but when she went to pull it out, she discovered it was wrapped around something. She frowned. She carefully unfolded it, and her eyes widened.

It was the Dark One's dagger.

"Ohhh, Granny," she breathed, for who else would have put it there? "I won't let you down."

She kissed Mulan once more, wrapped the dagger back in the cloak, and slipped away.

….

Henry stood in front of Merlin's tree with his arms crossed, thinking.

The Sorcerer was infallible—that was the word Arthur and Guinevere used. _He can help you even in his current state._ Henry thought back to the beginning—what did he actually know about Merlin? He was the most powerful person in any realm…but not quite human. A man born of both darkness and light, who chose good, and was strong enough to banish his darkness. And now the good man, the famed wizard, was dead, ensconced in a tree. His banished dark half now lived in Henry's mother, and before that his grandfather.

Henry's brow furrowed even deeper. It had tried to take his other mother first. It must have been desperate for darkness, since Regina had changed so much and no longer bore a resemblance to the Evil Queen. But with Rumpelstiltskin out of commission, and Zelena's magic switched off with the cuff, Henry had to reluctantly admit that Regina was the best option if the Dark One was looking for a dark magic-using human host. Though he was tired of his parents being dragged through magical nightmares, he supposed they were all lucky that the Dark One couldn't take up residence in a dragon.

"That would be a mess," he muttered to the tree.

But there was even less darkness in Emma…or at least there had been. She forced the darkness into herself, and Henry bet it was an ill fit—the magic of the Dark One and the Savior were probably tearing her apart.

Henry shook his head to clear it again. He always kept circling back to the probablies and what-ifs. _What do I know. The truth._ "Only half of you is dead," Henry told the tree. "Your dark half is in one of my moms. And my other mom…your magic led her to a book."

A sudden breeze picked up in the courtyard, and Henry pulled his jacket tighter; he blinked up at the tree. "The book," he repeated, sure that Merlin could hear him. "That's what we need." The wind came again, this time raining twigs and leaves down on his head; Henry brushed them away. "But…but what's in it?" he asked.

No answer came, and the air grew still. Henry sat back on the bench with a sigh. "They probably already know what to do with it anyway. They've had it for…well, for who knows how long out there?" He hung his head. "I feel like I gave away my chance to truly help my family. I'm supposed to be the new Author. I'm supposed to feel a connection to you and your magic, because the Author's powers ultimately come from you. But I…I was afraid." He wiped his nose with his sleeve. "I broke the pen. I was afraid of the responsibility. At the time, it seemed like the right idea, you know? The pen was too much power for one person. I didn't want to even be tempted by it. There are a lot of people in my life who I love who couldn't resist power when given the chance to have it, and…what chance did I have? So I broke it. But I'm wondering now if I did the right thing, or the easy thing. Was I responsible, or a coward? I don't know. I've severed that connection with you, and there's no way to get it back."

The breeze blew again, harder this time, and another round of leaves and twigs rained down on Henry's head. As he brushed them away, some caught on his coat, and he blinked. "Hey," he said quietly. He looked up at the tree. He stood slowly, the twigs clenched in his hand.

An idea began to form.

…..

"Emma!" Mary Margaret gasped.

Neal's cries had awoken her; she'd assumed he was ready for another feeding. Instead her eyes rested on Emma, covered in what looked like soot and even a little blood, with her baby brother in her arms.

Mary Margaret thought quickly; she needed to wake David, but she also needed Emma to stay calm. Perhaps a show of trust would work best, no matter how her heart raced for her son. "Emma," she whispered. "Are…are you all right?"

"You're worried for Neal," Emma said as she stared down at her little brother.

Mary Margaret swallowed. "Yes." She felt David stir beside her and put a hand on his arm.

Emma shook her head. "You're all so afraid of me when I've done nothing to you. I've got such power, Mother, and I only want to use it to keep you all safe."

"You tried to leave Storybrooke."

"To get my son." Emma held up Neal, who continued to squall. "You're worried about Neal and you can _see_ him. How do you think I feel? Henry is in another realm, being kept from me. His mother! While Neal is fine."

Tears were in Mary Margaret's eyes. "Emma, he's crying."

Emma stared at her, seemingly uncomprehending, then turned her gaze back to her brother. David was finally awake, but sat up silently when his wife squeezed his arm.

Their daughter waved a hand over Neal and his cries instantly ceased.

Mary Margaret gasped while David leapt out of bed, but with another wave of her hand Emma froze them in place. "Enough," she growled. "You wanted him to stop crying and he has, and now you're upset. Regina begs me to save Robin's life and I do, and you're all upset. I wouldn't stay in my _cage,_ so you made me a bigger one." She glared at them. "Did you ever consider _not_ panicking? _Not_ assuming the worst? You're supposed to be the champions of hope, after all. I think you might just be the champions of hot air."

She held Neal up in front of her face and narrowed her eyes. "I can't see the resemblance yet. But it's only a matter of time before you damage this one too. Hell, you managed to damage Lily before she was even born. You guys are great with kids."

Mary Margaret could do nothing but watch as Emma bounced Neal on her hip and paced around their apartment. "You asked if I was all right, when what you really wanted to know was whether or not I was going to hurt my brother. No one says what they mean here, yet they accuse me of deceit. Do you know, I asked Regina tonight for clarification, to make sure we were on the same page about something, and…apparently I did something wrong. _Again._ Even though I did everything I could to prevent it! And I'm sick of playing nice. It's not getting me what I need and you all just hate me anyway. So let me be clear this time."

Emma walked over to her frozen parents and looked them in the eye. "I need Henry. And I need the dagger. I will not be anyone's prisoner, not ever again. Until I have the dagger and my son, you won't have yours."

She blinked out of the room, taking Neal with her.

….

Hook was still asleep when she reappeared on their ship; all was blissfully quiet. The Dark One kept her brother in one arm as she strolled the deck, staring at the town of Storybrooke.

She was irritated with her miscalculation with Regina. She thought the queen understood her; after all, she had certainly seemed to. Perhaps the confusion came from Regina's feelings for Emma. Emma thought the other woman could see both sides of her at once, while the others could not. Hook only saw Emma. Maleficent only saw the Dark One. It had surprised her to find out that Regina seemed only to see Emma; she was too quick to assume Emma's words were those of the Savior, and not the Dark one.

"But we are both," the Dark One cooed to little Neal, who stared at her with curious eyes. "She was supposed to see that." Sometimes her words were more Emma, and sometimes they were the darkness…but every word she spoke was the truth for both—she wasn't two separate people, she was one. But they all looked at her like she was a woman possessed, instead of the friend and daughter and mother she'd always been, just with twice the power she'd had before.

She closed her eyes. The shadows were beginning to come back, creeping in at the far edges of her vision. They danced just out of sight whenever she was apart from Regina for too long, threatening to take over if she failed to use the queen to balance her powers. Her senses would dull as the Dark tried to rise to the surface, perhaps to escape on its own; she wouldn't allow that. When she had first awoken in the Enchanted Forest, surrounded by the Dark, in a soundless, lightless void…she had never known fear and despair like that before, and had no intention of feeling it again.

"Emma?"

She opened her eyes and turned to face Hook, who had joined her on the deck. "Hi."

He took a step towards her, a look of concern on his face. "Is that Neal?"

She put on a smile and bounced her brother. "It is. He's joining us for a little while."

"Uh huh. And…do the Charmings know that?"

She stared at him, incredulous. "Of course they know, Killian. What kind of a monster do you take me for?"

He held up a hand. "All right, all right. Um…I guess I'm just wondering why they would give you their son in the middle of the night. That's a fair thing for a man to wonder, isn't it?"

Emma raised an eyebrow at him. "Does the image of me with a baby disturb you? Should I worry about our future?"

It had the distracting effect she'd intended; both of Hook's eyebrows leapt up. "What? Oh…no! Not like that, of course not. I…I…"

"I did worry that moving in together was taking things a little faster than maybe you would have liked…"

"That's not it," he said, rushing to her side. "I love living with you. We'd just never talked about…I mean I didn't know you wanted more children."

"Don't you want them?"

Hook blinked at her. "I…well, as I said, we just never talked about it. I never really thought I…" He took a deep breath and collected himself. "What I mean to say is…I never allowed myself to dream, really, of having my own children. But if you're willing, I think we'd have quite attractive ones."

The Dark One smiled and kissed him; little Neal squirmed between them. "I think you're right," she said. "But first, we have to find a way out of this realm so we can get Henry back. I want my family to be complete. I…I tried to enlist Regina's help tonight, but…"

Hook glowered. "Why would you do that?"

She lowered her eyes and affected deep shame. "It was a mistake, I'll admit."

"She doesn't care about you. Why do you insist on thinking she does?" He threw up his hands and stalked over to the rail. "She's only ever wanted to hurt you, to take things from your life, like your son, and make them her own."

"I need to get the dagger from her."

He shook his head. "She has it again?"

"She must, don't you think, now that she's free of the cell we were in."

Hook nodded his head slowly. "The others put too much faith in her. It makes sense."

And now she could weave the rest of the web: "And that's why I have my brother; the others are so wrapped up in their own version of the truth that they can't see the threat that's right in front of them."

Hook's eyes went wide, sure of the truth of his own story. "Regina wants your power." He ground his teeth. "Your parents, the town…they think she's redeemed herself. But we know better—the Evil Queen is alive and well in Regina Mills, as hungry for power as ever."

Emma reached out and gripped his arm. "They have to give us the dagger; the Evil Queen can't have the power of the Dark One. But they won't see reason, Killian. It's why…it's why Neal is with us now. You know I would never hurt my brother…"

"Never. I know you, Emma. You are incapable of such a thing."

"But a trade is the only way now."

He cupped her face in his hands. "I could talk to them. Your parents. I can assure them that their son is safe, and that we just need them to wake up to what's really going on."

That would be the best possible distraction; Hook was bound to create chaos wherever he went as he fought for what he thought was right. Emma knew he had already convinced himself that his belief that Regina wanted the power of the Dark One had come from Emma's lips instead of his own mind. His self-righteousness mixed with her parents' panic should keep the more proactive factions in town occupied for a little while.

"I'm not sure they'll listen to you…"

"Nonsense. They love you, Emma, and they know that I love you too. If I go to them in peace, on their daughter's behalf…we may have a chance that they'll listen to reason."

Emma kissed her brother on the forehead. "Maybe I shouldn't have taken Neal," she said quietly.

Hook put his hands on her shoulders. "We'll get them to see that the dagger should be with the Savior. No matter what else is going on, that's still _you."_

She kissed him. "I love your faith in me."

Hook smiled. "I love you too."

…..

The wolf padded through the back streets of Storybrooke, nostrils flared, with the Dark One's dagger wrapped securely in her red cape, and the whole bundle clenched firmly in her teeth. She paused at the edge of the wood and held her head high, ears flicking.

She lowered her head and vanished into the forest.

….

Regina reappeared in a graceless heap on Maleficent's front porch, gasping for breath and shaking from expending so much of her magic. She reached for the doorknob and used it to pull herself upright with a groan. She pounded on the door for what felt like an eternity before it was yanked open and she fell into the arms of a very surprised Lily.

"Oh this is gonna be great," the dragon muttered as she maneuvered Regina inside and closed the door. She pulled her into the living room and settled her on the couch. "Breathe, would you? Jesus." Lily wrapped a blanket around Regina's shoulders and sighed. "She did a number on you this time." She shouted upstairs for Maleficent, and in no time the older dragon was on the couch, a warm hand on Regina's shoulder.

"Regina?" Mal said gently. "What's happened?"

Lily was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. "It looks like she somehow forgot the Dark One has a dark side, _again."_

Regina didn't hear anything else they said to each other as she hid her face in her hands and tried to control the shaking. She doubted that she could explain what had happened anyway, not to Mal, when she couldn't explain it to herself. She had almost given herself to the Dark One, body and soul, and for what? Sex with Emma? To feed the crush she'd developed on the woman the Dark One used to be?

_"The Darkness wants you too…"_

She shuddered, hating herself. The Dark One's power combined with her own could kill everyone she cared about, but she kept losing sight, over and over, of the most basic fact: Emma Swan was the Dark One. And she lost that sight every time the Dark One was close to her, with every gentle touch and every soft kiss that the Darkness placed on her through Emma's body. Regina ground her teeth together. She had expected a battle of magic with the Dark One, a showdown of sorts with the two of them hurling fireballs and lightning and spells at each other throughout Storybrooke. But never in her wildest imaginings had she expected the Dark One to almost succeed in taking her out with a kiss. But then she'd also never imagined that she secretly wanted to be seduced by Emma Swan. She was such an idiot.

That was her final thought as sleep suddenly overtook her.

…

Maleficent handed the now-empty bottle back to Lily. "Thank you, dear. That should do it."

"How long will she be asleep?"

"Long enough to properly recover. I'm sure she hasn't slept in days, and her magic is clearly depleted." Mal tucked a strand of dark hair behind Regina's ear. "But she's stubborn. The only way she'll sleep is if we make her. So."

"But what are we going to do with her?"

"What do you mean?"

Lily ran a hand through her hair and gestured to their unconscious guest. "What do we _do_ with her? The only times I've seen her around the Dark One she's pretty much looked like _that._ Didn't you say Regina asked you to step up if she couldn't?"

"Regina can still fight…"

Lily raised an eyebrow and gestured again.

"All right," Maleficent sighed. "All right. You're right. I'm being hopeful, not realistic." She pressed her hands to her eyes while she thought. "I don't want to go into battle with the Dark One without knowing what she did to Regina tonight. But…it's time to start preparing for another attempt at containment."

Lily nodded and sat across from her mother. "I may be able to help with that, actually. But…if you'll trust me…there's something I need to check on first."

Maleficent reached out and took Lily's hand in her own. "Promise me you're not about to do something crazy. If I'm here protecting Regina, I won't necessarily know if you need me…"

"I'm not looking to engage Emma in battle, if that's what you're asking. I promise." Lily stood up and grabbed her jacket. "I won't be long."

…..

The Dark One stalked through the center of town with her hands out, trying to sense any little ripples of magic. Gold's shop pulsed as it usually did, but not with anything specific. The mayor's office had its own familiar traces of magic, from the books and objects Regina had kept on hand there. The unexpected find was a ripple as Emma passed by Granny's Diner. "Intriguing," the Dark One murmured.

She tore the door from its hinges and entered.

At this hour of the morning the diner was still dark, dark, dark, all overturned coffee cups and stacks of dishes waiting for the morning rush. Emma's eyes glinted in the darkness, searching for the source of magic that had drawn her attention. She stepped slowly through the diner and turned to face the cash register; an eerie grin spread slowly across her face.

When she held out her hand, the register shook; the drawer flew open, spilling its contents on the floor. The inner tray shot out and hit the wall. A small leather bag that had been concealed underneath it came floating into the Dark One's hand.

Plaster and glass exploded near Emma's head and she whipped around to face the back hall; Granny stood there with a shotgun leveled at her. "I didn't think you were the sort to miss," Emma growled.

"Bullets won't make a difference to you; I was just announcing myself."

"A foolish move."

"Maybe. But I had to look you in the eye when I told you this: you are going to pay for what you did to my Ruby, one way or another. Maybe not today, but…"

The Dark One held up a hand, sending a powerful blast of magic into the old woman that knocked her backward through the wall in a cascade of brick and plaster. "No," Emma said, as she pocketed the magic beans. "Not today."


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, who am I? An update so close to the last one? lol trying to get better about that:) Thanks so much to my regular reviewers, as well as my binge-read-and-reviewers, and those of you kind enough to click a kudos my way. You all add fuel to the fire! Hope you all had a happy new year.

"Do you think it could work?"

Henry stood before the Round Table, earnest and hopeful. The knights exchanged glances while Arthur scratched his beard. The king cleared his throat. "It is a wonderfully unconventional plan, which is something I believe Merlin would have approved of."

"Indeed," Guinevere said. "Our dear Merlin took no greater delight than in people who could think outside of the box."

"Clever lad," Sir Kay rumbled.

While Henry beamed with pride, Kelemon slowly stood up. "With all due respect…it is certainly clever and unconventional, and something the sorcerer certainly would have loved, but it is also dangerous. There are so many unknown factors, and Henry was left here to keep him safe."

Henry felt his ears turn a little pink; she was right of course, but… "And with all due respect to you, Kelemon…my family also left me here hoping I could help in my own way. I know my plan is dangerous, but I also think it's sound. And if everyone here agrees that it could work, I have to try."

"I agree," Sir Percival said. "Though Kelemon's concern is valid; there are a lot of 'ifs' in the boy's plan."

King Arthur was nodding in thought. Henry watched him and practically quaked with hope; he chewed his lower lip to force himself to keep still. After what seemed like an eternity, Arthur spoke: "There are, as you say, a lot of 'ifs.' However, there is no wild speculation. If the tools can be fashioned in time, and if the objects he seeks can be found…there is no reason to believe Henry won't be successful. But if the Dark One discovers what he is doing…" Arthur stopped and locked his eyes on Henry. "I know you want to save your mother, but you can't go into battle thinking like that. You have to go in ready to defeat your enemy. Your enemy, Henry, is the Dark One. And the darkness may have borrowed your mother's face but…"

"She will kill you," Guinevere said. She took her husband's hand. "Arthur is trying to comfort you; he can't help it. But this isn't child's play—if you leave Camelot thinking your mother would never hurt you, then you have already lost. As Arthur said, your battle is not with your mother. It's with the Dark One."

Henry swallowed. He saw Kelemon nod and lower herself back into her chair. "I understand," he said quietly.

"That is not something you can really prepare for," Sir Percival said. "The best you can do is to remind yourself that it is the truth, over and over, when your feelings threaten to take you off course."

"You can't trust your feelings, Henry," Sir Kay said. "Not with this."

"We will support you," Arthur said. "I suggest you take some time to process what has been said here, and when you are ready…we will take the next step."

Henry nodded and gathered this things. "Thank you all."

….

_She was dreaming again—that much she knew._

_She was standing in the middle of the graveyard; the moon was high overhead. A sharp, cold wind was blowing and Regina pulled her jacket tight against it. She glanced around but saw no one. Anxious at being out in the open, she decided to make her way to her vault._

_The wind blew harder and she leaned into it, gritting her teeth. Leaves swirled around her, sticking to her legs and catching in her hair. When she finally reached her vault, she pulled on the doors._

_Nothing happened._

_Regina looked up at the doors in confusion and tried again, but still they didn't budge. Now there were papers and spell bottles and books on the wind, caught up in a kind of vortex around the vault, and Regina had to back away with her hands shielding her face. She fell backwards over a root and ended up splayed on the ground as objects from her vault rained down around her. "If I can't get in," she growled, "then I'll take what I can back to the house." She started stuffing unbroken bottles of elixirs in her pockets and tucking books under her arms._

_With a great tearing noise, the trees around her vault were uprooted and flung aside to reveal a dragon; its tail coiled around the building as its head and long neck slowly came at Regina over the roof. Massive claws clutched at the sides of the vault, leaving long gashes in the stone._

_"What the hell is this?" Regina shouted. "Mal? Lily?"_

_The dragon was keeping her out, she was sure of it, but she had no idea why. She tried to rush the doors but the dragon's head lowered into her path, its low growl shaking the ground as it exhaled plumes of hot smoke._

_"Fine," Regina spat. "Have it your way." She turned on her heel and started the long walk home._

_"Regina."_

_She stopped. That was Emma's voice. She whirled around but couldn't see the Dark One anywhere. With a frown she continued through the woods._

_The wind pulled at her jacket and the things she had grabbed from her vault. She resisted as long as she could but the wind was too strong; it ripped the books from under her arm and pages went everywhere, everywhere, everywhere…_

_She had to leave them. She had to get home. She continued on her way until a sight stopped her cold._

_At the edge of the woods was Emma's body._

_"No," she breathed. "No no no…"_

_She rushed forward and dropped to her knees, cradling Emma in her arms. "Emma!" But the blonde's skin was a dull grey, her body limp. Regina shook her. "Emma!"_

_The pages from the ruined books whipped around the two women, and Regina did her best to shield both of them. At one point the papers grew so dense that Regina lashed out, shoving them away, but more took their place. Her magic seemed useless against it. She glanced down helplessly at the pages that had stuck to Emma and went to peel them away._

_She paused._

_For a moment she saw nothing else but the blank pages stuck to Emma Swan. Regina blinked up into the vortex that had formed around them—all of the papers were blank._

_She held Emma tighter._

_Suddenly the vortex shot away from them and the ground started to quake; bolts of silver light cut through the trees. Regina didn't know what to do._

_"Regina."_

_She gasped. "Emma!" The Dark One gazed up at her with half-focused eyes. "Emma, I'm here."_

_The vortex of empty pages started boring into the earth and Emma started to scream._

…

Regina woke drenched in a cold sweat in unfamiliar surroundings.

"Regina!"

She turned, expecting to see Emma, but instead found Maleficent staring at her with worried eyes. "What am I…where…"

Maleficent held her arms. "Regina, you're in my home. You came here last night, needing help. You'd been attacked."

_Attacked?_ Regina glanced down at the robe she was wearing; it was her own, so she must have come straight to Mal's without…

She blinked. She remembered Emma's hands pushing her robe aside to kiss her chest, and the rest of the evening came back to her very quickly. "Right," she said, pulling her robe tighter. "Yes."

Maleficent brushed Regina's hair from her forehead. "Oh, Regina. Here." She took her friend's hands and Regina felt a warmth as Mal's magic flowed into her, restoring her strength. She gave a long, shuddering breath and leaned back against the couch cushions; Mal kept a hand in hers. "Regina, what happened?"

"I had a nightmare. I've had so many dreams since I've been back…"

"I meant…what happened last night? You couldn't tell us when you got here, though we assumed it had something to do with the Dark One."

Regina closed her eyes. "It did."

"She hurt you."

Regina swallowed and looked into Maleficent's eyes; she could see the anger on her behalf that her friend was barely containing. "She tried to. I…threw some furniture at her and brought the ceiling of the guest room down on her head."

"The guest room."

Regina pulled her hand away at the accusatory tone. "Mal…"

But the dragon stood and paced her living room. "Please tell me you didn't invite the Dark One in, Regina."

Technically, she hadn't, but that really only made the telling of it worse. "I asked her to stay…after she appeared in my room."

Maleficent closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Just…start from the beginning."

So Regina did. She found she couldn't look Mal in the eye as she told it, and when she finished, there was a long silence before Maleficent gathered herself to speak.

"We could have lost you."

Regina didn't say anything; there was nothing to say.

"Do you love her?"

Regina's jaw went slack. "I…do I… _what?"_

Maleficent crossed her arms. "I asked you if you're in love with Emma Swan."

Regina clutched at her robe and looked away; Maleficent made an odd noise that Regina could only take for disappointment.

"All right," the dragon said, after the silence had gone on for much too long. "Then I guess I'll stop deferring to your judgement on things." She exited to the kitchen, leaving Regina alone in the living room.

_Do you love her?_

The question was deeply unsettling. Regina had only just accepted that lust was playing into the equation. But love…in the way Maleficent meant…that was ridiculous. Wasn't it? She thought back to her dream, and how she'd felt when Emma screamed as the pages ripped into the earth…

…the blank pages…

_Wait._ Wait, that was something. She sat up straighter and tried to concentrate as the memory of her nightmare tried to slip forever away. _The blank pages…blown out of the book she'd grabbed. The book._ Regina gasped—the small, leather book with the empty pages she had taken from Merlin's tower held power within it after all. Her brow furrowed as she struggled to recall her other dreams. Some had taken place in her home, others outside or in a car…

Regina stood up, eyes wide.

In all of her dreams, there had been a book, and not only that, but Emma had gotten her to set her book down each time she appeared. "Mal," Regina said. "Maleficent!"

The dragon came around the corner with a vial of liquid in her had. "What?"

"My dreams…the book…" Regina closed her eyes and took a deep breath, grounding herself, before she looked Maleficent in the eye. "My magic has been trying to tell me something. There was a book we had taken from Merlin's tower, small with a soft leather binding, and I had it…until Ruby's cabin! All hell broke loose and…and it ended up in Mary Margaret's bag, I'm sure of it. Mal, we need that book. I…wow, I had forgotten all about it."

"Speaking of which." Maleficent held up the vial. "You need to drink this—it's a potion to restore your lost memories. The others got a dose as soon as they returned, but I hadn't gotten a chance to give it to you."

Regina waved her off; her mind was racing, wondering how the blank book was supposed to help them. "It's all right, I know what happened."

"Because Emma told you."

"Yes, she…" Regina stopped in her tracks. "I see."

Mal held out the bottle.

Regina considered it. "I don't want to take it. Yet," she said quickly, before Mal could go off on her. "But I will. After I…"

"Take it now, Regina."

She would have pushed the matter, if only she'd had a leg to stand on. As it was, with an impatient roll of her eyes Regina grabbed the vial and downed the contents.

And clamped a hand over her mouth as a memory came back to her.

_"Robin," Regina begged, "put the dagger down."_

_Emma grinned wickedly. "Yes, Robin. Put it down. Listen to your betters."_

_Robin's eyes darted from Regina's to David's and back to the Dark One's. "Get away from her," he said. There was a trembling in his voice, which wasn't a good sign._

_Emma complied with his command; the blonde simply stepped back, a knowing smirk on her face._

_"Regina, get out of the way," Robin said._

_But she couldn't. If she moved away, she had no idea what he would do to Emma. "You can't hurt her," she said._

_"I know what I'm doing."_

_David cleared his throat. "Maybe you should listen to her. Give the dagger to Mary Margaret. We all just need to calm down."_

_Everything that happened next was a blur._

_Robin shouted a command for the Dark One not to move; David lunged at him, but Robin gained the upper hand, as well as David's sword. Mary Margaret was shouting something, but Regina couldn't make it out. All of a sudden Robin was rushing at Emma, dagger in one hand, sword held high in another…_

_…and Regina threw herself around the Dark One, who still didn't move._

_But Robin did. His momentum was too great, and his hesitation threw him wildly off-balance. There was a crash, and shouting, and then a sickening stillness. Regina let go of Emma and spun around to see Robin lying on the forest floor, David's sword some distance away, and the Dark One's dagger buried in his gut._

_She tried to scream, but the sound wouldn't come out; she rushed to his side and cradled his head in her hands. "Robin…Robin!" He was leaving her._

_"Do something," she whispered. She looked up into fearsome green eyes and shouted, "Do something! Please, Emma. I'm begging you."_

Tears slipped silently down Regina's cheeks; Emma had left out the part where Robin's death was partly Regina's fault. She had clearly chosen Emma over him in the chaos, shielding the Dark One from harm and causing Robin to falter.

"Anything I need to know?" Maleficent asked quietly.

Regina sniffed and wiped her eyes. "No. It's nothing that would lead you to any different conclusions than the ones you've already drawn."

"I see. In that case, let's whip up some clothes for you and head to the Charmings' to find this book."

….

Lily flew on silent wings above the forest, her golden eyes searching for the break in the trees. When she found it, she coasted down to the ground.

The boulders were still in place from her last visit, the mouth of the cave she'd created still safely concealed. She was about to shift one out of the way when a scent hit her and her nostrils flared; she narrowed her eyes and gave a low, rumbling growl in the direction it was coming from.

There was an answering snarl as a large wolf padded out of the brush, hackles raised. Lily studied the creature—there was no way it was a regular wolf. For one thing, it was much too large, but there was also the strange fact that it was approaching her, not running away, even though it posed no threat at all to a dragon.

Lily snorted, sending twin blasts of smoke in the wolf's direction.

The wolf sat, but kept growling, and Lily suddenly had a thought as to who the wolf could be: one of the women Leroy had brought back from the Enchanted Forest. One of them was said to have powers, while the other was only human.

Lily took a chance. She looked the wolf in the eye as she shed her dragon skin and resumed her normal form; she was grateful that because she'd been in a rush to get to the cave, she'd kept her clothes on this time. The wolf stopped growling and actually cocked its head, before it too took on a human form.

"Who the hell are you?" the woman barked at her.

Lily held up a hand. "Maleficent's daughter. I knew Emma when we were kids. I've been sheriff while the others have been trying to sort out this Dark One crap. You're uh…Ruby? Right?"

The woman frowned. "Yeah."

"I'm Lily. Uh…Leroy brought you back. A whole group of them went to the other realm to stop Emma, but…"

"They weren't a match for her."

"No. Here either, it seems."

Ruby nodded. "I smelled her as soon as I woke up."

"We actually managed to trap her, for a little while, but that idiot of a pirate actually let her out." Lily paused and looked at the other woman. "What are you doing out here?"

"Trying to figure out what's going on, where Storybrooke stands in the fight against the Dark One. I figured I could be more help off the grid." Ruby gestured at the boulders. "I'm guessing you had a similar thought. What's all this? I don't remember there being a cave here before."

Lily cleared her throat. "Ah, well, that's because I kind of…made…it."

Ruby's eyebrows shot up. "You _made_ it?"

Lily gestured for the wolf to follow her around the back of the rocks, where there was just enough space to slip through.

"Holy shit," Ruby breathed.

Even in the darkness, the inside of the cave glistened just enough. And now that Lily was in her human form, she could feel the magic radiating off the walls; she shivered.

Ruby reach out a tentative hand and lightly touched the stone. "What is it?"

"Onyx."

Ruby was shaking her head in wonder. "What…what was your plan for this place?"

"I don't really have one, unfortunately. I just knew it would be safe, or mostly safe, from dark magic in an emergency."

"And who knows about it?"

"Just me. Well, just us, now."

Ruby placed a hand on Lily's shoulder. "Let's keep it that way. I think we can help each other."

"Why?" The question was out of her mouth before she even knew it was happening. At Ruby's surprised look, Lily added, "I'm sorry. I'm not used to anyone really…trusting me. Ever."

"We're out here together, far away from the others, each making our own plan. So I guess we already have the same opinion about how their fight is gonna go. Right?"

Lily didn't say anything.

"Right." Ruby stepped closer. "Those people are my friends, and my family, and I love them. I don't know how they saved my life in the Enchanted Forest, but they did. I owe it to them…" she hesitated, but shook it off. "Lily, I owe it to them to get this right; to be the backup they won't admit they need. I've known these people a very long time; Emma's mother is my best friend. And I know that if I'm with them, I'll let them make the calls…but not because they'll make the right ones. They act from the heart, not…"

"…on instinct," Lily finished.

Ruby gave her a small smile. "Yeah. And to answer your question, _my_ instincts about people are usually right. I bet yours are, too. After all, you trusted me enough to put the dragon away."

Lily chewed on that. Actually her first impressions _were_ usually spot-on, but years of second-guessing herself had taken their toll.

"You've got a cave, but aren't sure what to do with it. And I have something else, something that doesn't work without a plan…but I feel like together, we're halfway there."

Lily frowned. "Why? What do you have?"

…

The Dark One appeared in front of the Mills' family vault.

The doors were easily tossed to the side, allowing her access. At the sight of the words HENRY MILLS engraved on the tomb, she hesitated. She reached out and placed a hand on the cool marble. "Regina has killed or tried to kill all of the people she loves the most," she murmured. "All because of her mother's mantra—'love is weakness.' You can tell how many people she loved from the body count." She traced a finger over the letter 'H.' "She never understood the strength of love, the power of it that other people are happy to give you. My love for others made me the Dark One. But it's their love for me that will keep me alive. They won't be able to stop me…because so many of them love me." She patted the tomb once more. "That's power," she whispered.

She gently pushed aside Henry Sr.'s memorial and stepped down the stairs. She took a deep and appreciative breath as she gazed around the vault, at the carefully organized potions and herbs and stones and books…

A pulse of magic burst forth from her hands, shattering glass and crumbling stone. She hurled a fireball into the mess for good measure before vanishing in a twist of grey smoke.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, this chapter was a beast. I needed the players in certain places and ended up throwing out as much as I kept! YEEESH. In any event, thanks as always to my commenters and kudosers:) please continue to share your thoughts with me, I do love them--DHD

Emma appeared back on the ship where she'd placed her brother in a magical stasis; with a snap of her fingers he appeared back in her arms. "Now," she said to him, "let's get some real work done."

She pulled a magic bean from the small leather pouch she'd found at Granny's. She threw it to the deck, where a portal formed immediately. "Back to the Enchanted Forest we go."

The swirl of green magic transported them safely to the middle of nowhere, which had to be the closest to Camelot that the sorcerer's magic would allow them to go. Unfortunately, Emma would have to use her gut to get any closer—the worse she felt, as a reaction to Merlin's protective barriers, the better her odds were for finding the hidden kingdom.

And her son.

…

"David? Snow?"

Killian Jones kept pounding on the door to the loft, but received no answer. "Come on, mate," he muttered to himself; he didn't want to have to break in, adding insult to injury, if he didn't have to. He and the Charmings might not agree on what was best for Emma, but they did all love her, and Killian even considered David a friend. But they could be prone to hysteria, and Killian didn't want to add to it with a broken door.

When several more minutes of hammering on the door didn't work, he ground his teeth together and started picking the lock. When _that_ was taking too long, he sighed, "To hell with it," and kicked the door in.

The Charmings were frozen by the bed, Snow with a look of desperation on her face and David as though he were lunging at something. "Oh, bloody hell," Killian breathed. He ran over to them. "Snow. David, can you hear me?" They seemed able to blink and move their eyes, so he suspected that they could also hear and were merely stuck.

_Why did Emma have to do it this way?_ Talking her parents down was going to be so much harder than he thought, since it looked like their daughter's conversation with them had deteriorated to the point where she had just _taken_ young Neal. Killian knew it was for the greater good, but…the looks on the Charmings' faces were devastating.

Maybe the one good thing that could come of it was that they would have to listen to him.

He held up a hand at them, then pulled a chair over so he could sit at their eye level, which he figured would be more comfortable for them. "Look, I…I know you're upset right now, that you're afraid for your boy. And probably still afraid for your daughter. But they're ok, both of them, I swear to you. I'm sorry things have gone this way, truly I am. But…I _know_ that Emma only wants what's best for the people she loves. That's probably hard to understand, considering how she's gone about it, but…she's not going to hurt Neal. She just wants you to listen to her. She wants you to _trust_ her—you're her parents!"

He sighed. "Look…Emma's still the savior, no matter what else has happened. She just has even more power than she did before, and I'll admit, sometimes it's a little disconcerting, and she can be a bit…abrupt." He thought back to how Emma had simply summoned a ship for them to live in, and how she'd asked him about having children practically out of the blue. "But she's got a lot on her mind, including her family. Henry's _gone._ You've got him tucked up in a whole other realm, because you decided not to give your daughter, the product of your true love, the benefit of the doubt. And you're so distracted by Emma's new powers that you've forgotten that the oldest ones are still in play—Regina's."

Killian held up his hand again. "I know, I know…you think she's changed. But when the Dark One was loosed from the crocodile, _it went for Regina._ It saw the darkness that still beats in her heart. It doesn't matter how many times she smiles for you or decides to behave because it gets her what she wants—you can't wipe away the horrors she's done. And I say this, mate," he looked at David in earnest, "not to hurt you or insult you…but you've fallen so far for Regina's manipulations that you can't even see the truth anymore. You're afraid of your own daughter, who hasn't done anything to you, instead of the woman capable of true evil even without the influence of the Darkness. And if she ever got that power…well, god help us all."

He stood then and ran a hand through his hair. "I sympathize with you both, I truly do. But you've forced Emma to take extreme measures as the only way of getting through to you. She's not going to hurt her little brother, she could never do that. But she won't give him back until you hand over the dagger. It can't fall into Regina's hands and Emma just wants you to see that."

_"What have you done to them?"_

The force of the magic that hit him knocked all of the air from his lungs even before he crashed into the far wall; a sharp pain in his side meant some ribs had probably broken, but he couldn't even cry out. He suddenly found himself suspended in the air, unable to move, and when his eyes were able to focus he was staring at…

Maleficent. _What the hell…?_ The dragon had him in a magical vise, staring at him in such a condescending manner that he wanted to scream. Behind her, tending to the Charmings, was Regina.

When she was released from her magical holdings, Snow started sobbing and grabbing at Regina's arms. The witch turned to David, the question on her lips, but he said, "It was Emma. Hook only showed up a few minutes ago."

"On totally unrelated business, I'm sure," Maleficent purred.

"They have Neal," Snow sobbed.

David was beside himself. "Emma appeared in our room, hours ago. She was holding Neal, he was crying…"

"…but then he _wasn't,"_ Snow said. "Regina, she just waved her hand over him and…and I don't know if he's ok."

David was glaring at Killian. "Hook says he's fine. Emma wants to trade Neal for the dagger."

Regina had the nerve to look at him with such disdain as she released Snow to David's arms. She walked across the loft to him, slowly. As she approached, Maleficent cocked her head at Killian. "Now do be careful, you idiot. That blast was meant to kill you, and it would have if I hadn't intervened; Regina shouldn't have to live with the blip of _you_ on her conscience."

It was maddening—in one breath the woman admitted that the witch wanted him dead _and_ that she was somehow still the better person for it. He felt some of his magical bindings loosen enough to allow him to speak.

"David…Snow," he said weakly. "Didn't you hear a word I said?"

Snow looked at him with pity. "Did _you?"_

He closed his eyes. He'd failed Emma; there was no hope of getting her parents to listen to reason.

The sharp crack of a slap across his face made him gasp against his injured ribs. Regina.

"Where's Neal?" she growled at him. "Out with it."

"He's _fine._ He's with Emma, on our ship. What did you think she was going to do with him?"

"And what the hell are you doing here?"

He leaned towards her as much as he could against Maleficent's magic. "Trying to warn them about you, Your Majesty. But you've got them so fooled they won't listen. Don't worry, though. You've never been any match for Emma, and now she's even more powerful. You'll never get your hands on that dagger."

Regina stared at him. "When was the last time you saw Emma?"

"Hard of hearing? I just told you, she's on our ship. I left her there to come over here."

Regina turned back to the Charmings. "He's a distraction. She's doing something big, and knew just who to send our way."

At that, Killian's blood boiled. "How dare you…" but his words were cut off with a casual wave of Maleficent's hand.

Tears ran down Snow's face. "But what could she be doing with Neal?"

Regina's hands went to her hips. "I don't think she'd hurt him. I think she's got him as a trade, just like she told you. But I certainly don't think she sent her lapdog here with his brilliant negotiating skills just so she could _wait for him back on the ship._ " She glanced between Maleficent and Killian. "He doesn't need to hear any more of this."

With a dark smile from the dragon and a flick of her wrist, Killian's world went dark.

…..

Henry double-checked the few items he'd chosen to pack in his messenger bag and slung it over his shoulder. It had taken him some time to accept that he was going off to face the Dark One; it helped a bit to imagine Rumplestiltskin at his darkest moments, and to put that face back on the Dark One instead of his mother's, because that was the truth of his quest—the Dark One would use Emma's face and her voice to trick him, and then all would be lost. He had a responsibility to see his task through. No one else could do it.

He swallowed and looked at himself in the mirror, took a breath, and made his way through the winding halls of Camelot to the Round Table. He looked King Arthur in the eye and said, "I'm ready."

The king nodded. "Then we will head to the portal."

Before they could go, however, a knight burst through the doors. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, there's a…there's been a…"

Kelemon stood up and fixed him with a glare. "Collect yourself—you are a knight of the Round Table."

He bowed his head to her. "Yes, Kelemon. Several villages have been destroyed, all on a path leading towards Camelot."

….

The Dark One closed her eyes and pushed forward through the fear.

The shadows had started to creep back into her vision sooner than she'd expected; they had come around the sides of barns and over the tops of houses as she passed through towns in the Enchanted Forest. Light kept them at bay, at least for a little while, and so she'd launched fireball after fireball at them, scattering villagers and leaving rubble in her wake. But still, the shadows taunted her.

Day turned to night, turned to day once more, and still she kept walking. The baby tucked under her arm was in a deep, magical sleep, which Emma found was the only way to deal with him. She had no chance getting near her son in this realm without something of great value to trade. But with nothing to feed the child and no chance of comforting it, Emma only risked harming him if he were awake. In a strange way, she admired this small creature who shared her blood. He reinforced for her that words often got in the way of communication—babies were clear and honest about what they needed. They didn't cry and scream to drive one mad, they did it out of fear or pain or hunger. The rest of her friends and family, however…they seemed to never know what they wanted or needed. They reacted to everything with fear, whether it was warranted or not, and ultimately it meant she couldn't trust any of them.

Even Henry.

He was being kept from her because the others saw her as dangerous, even though he came from a long line of truly dangerous people. He was more aware than they realized.

She wondered if he knew he had the power to stop her.

There was a chance he didn't—Henry was so impulsively noble that some things he did ended up not being in his best interests, ultimately. He had gotten a chance to wield power, _real_ power, but because he was a child and his world was still black and white, he had destroyed it. Still, the ability lurked within him, and it was why she needed him close.

Emma rubbed at her eyes and blinked up into the trees, thinking it would be night again, but it was not. She clenched her teeth—the shadows were interfering more and more with her vision. Occasionally, dark faces swam past sneering at her; first Regina and then her mother. They had taken her son from her as soon as he was born. Keeping him was never an option, all because of forces beyond her control, forces _they_ had set in motion.

She hurled another fireball along the path in front of her, clearing her vision if only for a few moments. The last time she'd been near Camelot, Regina had been with her, and she kept the shadows away. Everything came so easily to her; Emma's blood boiled. Regina couldn't even see the shadow creatures that tortured the Dark One's every step, but she had defeated them nonetheless.

As Emma advanced on the barrier to the hidden kingdom, more and more of her mind slipped from her control, and her nightmares mixed with reality. _Henry hates you. You were never supposed to have him. You would have hurt him, if they hadn't taken him from you. Regina counted on you. You promised her a happy ending but you broke that promise and lost her trust. She's smarter than you. She's a better mother. Your parents are so disappointed—everything you try to save, you destroy._

Her body shook with the strain of continuing down the path, but continue she did.

_Regina loves you and you hurt her. You left her broken and crying in her home. There was no funeral for Ruby because there was no body to bury; you obliterated your mother's best friend. Your father died trying to protect his son from you. You tore his heart out and ate it, like a demon from the depths of hell, before hurling the baby into the ocean. Your mother turned your father's service weapon on herself._

Emma gasped and collapsed to one knee.

She had to be there—she was losing her mind.

And so she shouted out, with her eyes clenched shut against the shadows, "I have my brother here to trade—my son's life for his. Decide quickly. I do not know how long he will be safe in my arms."

….

On the other side of the barrier stood the king and queen, as well as Kelemon and her knights, and Henry, who stared at his mother in horror. "You have to trade me."

"Henry, that is not…"

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but it's the only way," Henry said. "She could kill Neal at any moment, accidentally, and my grandparents would never recover from that. They…they just wouldn't." He thought back to the book that had started it all, and the illustration of Snow White and Prince Charming sending their newborn daughter off into an unknown future, without them. He thought of how they'd each lost their mothers. He thought of how between them, they only held one heart—so how much more heartbreak could they actually take? No. It was his turn to be brave. All of the rest of his family had done enough. Henry kept his head high. "I'll be all right."

Kelemon stepped up and placed a hand on his arm. "But this completely changes the plan."

"Only slightly. She knows Merlin's magic is a threat, so she will most likely take me right back to Storybrooke, which is what we want anyway. I just can't take this." Henry slipped his bag off of his shoulder and handed it to Kelemon. "You'll have to follow me there."

At that, the knight's eyes went wide. "What, me? Travel to the other realm?"

"Unless you think someone else would be more qualified."

Outside of the barrier, Neal gave the tiniest of cries. As they all watched, the Dark One waved a hand and he was silent once more. Henry's heart ached for him, and he turned back to the others. "We have to do this now."

"Kelemon will follow you," Guinevere said, ignoring the stares from the knights around her. "Where can she find you, when it is time?"

Henry shook his head as he turned to Kelemon. "When you get to Storybrooke, don't come for me first—find a man named Geppetto. Tell him what we need."

….

_Henry's face floated before her, twisting from an infant to a grown man to a teenager. Did she ever know him, really? She had given him away, telling herself she was actually giving him something—his best chance—even though she knew,_ she knew, _how it worked in the real world. He would be bounced from foster home to foster home, someone's meal ticket, someone's drug money, someone's punching bag. He would age out of the system and be adrift in a sea of chaos for the rest of his life._

"Put him down."

_But how could she? She had already done it once and look what it had gotten her—separated from her son, her child, for ten years. She wouldn't lose him again._

"Put him down."

The voice was insistent. The Dark One strained against the light as she opened her eyes. Henry was standing in front of her.

"Put Neal down, right here on the forest floor, and I'll go with you, Mom."


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of POVs that needed to take place in the right order AND not drag out storytelling made this one a bit of a beast to finalize; I'd love to hear what you think of the final product (though clearly it is not the last chapter--there will be three or four more). As always, the real world insisted on getting in the way of posting as well. I'm grateful to you all for reading and commenting and supporting this story xoxox--DHD

Belle was already halfway through her second cup of tea for the morning. The light streamed through the library's front windows, gently lighting her progress.

Or lack thereof.

She sighed as she turned a page. The problem with the Storybrooke library was that it had very little in the way of actual, usable research materials for any of the realms they'd come from. The most powerful items that had been preserved belonged to either Regina or Rumplestiltskin, but even those were few and far between. The curse that had created the town had hardly been designed to preserve those types of things; quite the opposite, in fact. But it did challenge Belle to think outside of the proverbial box. Henry's story book had appeared magically, even though this was the "land without magic," when it was needed, and it was hardly a formal research text.

So she was currently pouring through Arthurian legends for any information on the sorcerer that could be of use against the Dark One. Many of the stories found Merlin trapped in a tree, or a cave, or a glass tower or a boulder…and each time he'd known he was going to his death, led there by someone who loved him. Belle shook her head and finished her tea; there was still nothing on _saving_ the sorcerer's dark half.

With a gasp she realized the locket around her neck had drastically changed temperature—instead of the normal warmth, it was as if a cube of ice had been placed on her chest. She clutched it desperately.

_Rumple…_

….

When they got to the sheriff's station, Lily was waiting for them.

"Where have you been?" Maleficent huffed. "You said you were coming right back to the house!"

Lily shrugged as she opened one of the cells; Regina used magic to unceremoniously dump Hook back behind bars. "Things took longer than expected, but everything's all right."

Mal looked like she was going to argue, but Regina placed a hand on her arm and said, "Thank you for meeting us here, Lily. This time, we don't care if he cuts off his other hand, or sprouts wings, or anything else—no one opens that door."

"I got it." The phone started ringing, and Lily left to answer.

Regina turned to face David and Snow. "Mal can seal him in with a spell, to make sure he stays put this time. While she does that, we can use a locator spell to find Neal."

"Mmm, Regina dear," Maleficent murmured. "I believe it would be best if _you_ sealed the pirate in, while I take the Charmings to their children." At Regina's questioning glare, Mal rolled her eyes: "Wherever Neal is, Emma will be close by."

Regina ground her teeth together. Snow and David exchanged a confused look.

"Besides." Maleficent stepped in close, and placed her hands on Regina's waist; Regina stiffened, but Mal was only feeling the small leather book they'd retrieved from the loft, now tucked in her jacket pocket. "You need to keep that safe, don't you? We'll find the baby, Regina. You try to lay low for once."

"Fine," Regina growled.

When they left, Regina got to work securing Hook in his cell, fighting every instinct she had that was telling her to do something worse to him. As she finished, Lily rushed out of the office. "What is it?"

Lily grabbed her service pistol. "That was Leroy. Mrs. Lucas is in the hospital. Emma threw her through a wall."

"She… _what?"_

…..

Not only had Granny Lucas been put through a wall in the diner, but her granddaughter was missing from her hospital bed. Regina was less than pleased. "Nobody saw her leave?" she barked at the nurses, the doctors, the janitorial staff. "This is Ruby Lucas we're talking about! Gorgeous woman? Bright red cloak? In a coma?" She ran a hand through her hair, spitting mad, and vanished in a cloud of purple smoke.

…..

Kelemon appeared in a well, much to her surprise, and had to haul herself over the side to the forest floor. She took a tentative look around; so far, there wasn't anything unusual about this world at all. The bag slung across her shoulder was still in place, as was her sword. "Good," she muttered to herself.

Henry had assured her that there were enough people mixed into Storybrooke who still dressed similarly to how they did in the Enchanted Forest, so Kelemon wouldn't stand out too much. She had chosen her black pants and boots, dark vest and green cloak for her journey. Thanks to Henry's directions, she quickly found the odd stone road and followed it north, keeping herself behind the tree line.

In less than an hour, she knocked on what she prayed was the right door. An older gentleman, about a head shorter than her, answered. "Yes?"

"Are you Geppetto? The wood carver?"

He blinked at her. "Yes."

"Henry Mills sent me to find you."

The man's eyes went wide, and he motioned for her to step inside, quickly. "Is the boy all right?"

"I honestly don't know. The Dark One came for him. It's…kind of a long story, but he needs your help."

"My help?" Geppetto looked bewildered. "Of course, any help Henry needs, I will give. But what could I possibly do?"

Kelemon pulled the bag off her shoulder and opened it. "Henry says you have experience working with enchanted wood."

The old man peered into the bag. He grew very still when he saw its contents; he narrowed his eyes at her. "Who are you?"

"My name is Kelemon. I am the leader of the Knights of the Round Table, in Camelot."

Geppetto pointed into her bag. "This wood has the magic of the wizard there?" When she nodded, he let out a low whistle. "Ok. So. What is it young Henry believes I can do with this?"

"He believes you can make him a pen."

…..

_"This is awesome, Mom."_

_Emma smiled and ran a hand through her son's hair. "Happy Birthday, Henry."_

_Beside her, Regina gave a heavy sigh. "I thought we'd discussed this…"_

_"We had," Emma said, winking at Henry. "We just came to different conclusions."_

_"He's too young for a car."_

_"But he's not too young to learn how to drive. We'll help him. And then he'll be all set when he takes his driver's test."_

_"You should have told me. At least together we could have afforded something…safer." Regina looked with derision at the two-door sedan parked outside of her house. The doors were a different color than the rest of the body, and there were several visible rust spots._

_Henry had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life. He threw his arms around Regina and tried to sound as loving as possible: "Oh please can I keep it, Mom. Please?"_

_"You realize Emma is making me out to be the bad guy? Again? Just because I want you to live past the age of fifteen?"_

_"All right, all right—I won't torture you any more," Emma said with a smile and a shake of her head._

_Regina frowned. "What are you talking about?"_

_Henry, concerned the best birthday ever was about to be ruined, matched his mother's expression. "Yeah, what do you mean?"_

_Emma slid her hands in her back pockets. "It doesn't run."_

_Regina blinked. "It…what?"_

_Henry's brow furrowed. "Wait, you got me a broken car?"_

_"I care about his safety too, you know," Emma said. She gazed warmly at his other mother as she explained. "Before he drives, he should know how a car works. We're gonna fix it up, together. He'll put his hand on every part of it, understand how it all goes together. That way if something ever happens to it, or to any car he drives, he won't panic. He'll know what's wrong, and what to do about it."_

_"Wow Mom. That's even better. I'll be so cool!" Henry threw his arms around her._

_Emma peered at Regina over the top of his head. "Forgive me?"_

_"How's it going, kid?"_

_Henry ran his hands over his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "My head's starting to spin. I've been staring at these calculations for hours and I haven't gotten any farther."_

_Emma set a cup of coffee on his desk. "You will."_

_He shook his head. "You always say that."_

_"That's because you always do. You're good at math; always have been." She gave a soft laugh. "You must get that from your mother, not me."_

_Henry shook his head and grinned; he liked when she said stuff like that. "Mom has a head for calculating, all right. I don't think she ever applied it to astrophysics, though."_

_Emma kissed the top of his head. "How much longer is this thesis going to take?"_

_He sighed. "It can't take longer than this weekend; I have to present it on Tuesday, and I should really drive back to campus on Monday."_

_"All right. Don't forget to take breaks, kid."_

_"I promise."_

_He could hear the shouting behind the door at 108 Mifflin Street, but it only made him smile. It was both of his mothers, arguing over how formal versus casual to make a holiday, as they did EVERY holiday, ON said holiday._

_He hoped it would never change._

_Regina pulled the door open. "Oh! Henry!" She stepped outside and crushed him in a hug._

_"Hey Mom."_

_"I wasn't expecting you until tonight." She straightened up and realized he wasn't alone. "Hello…"_

_"Mom, this is Jennifer. She's on my research team and…um…"_

_Jennifer beamed. "It's lovely to meet you, Mrs. Mills. I'm Henry's girlfriend."_

_"What was that?" came Emma's voice from inside the house; a moment later she appeared in the doorway._

_Regina turned to face her. "Our son has a girlfriend."_

_Jennifer held out her hand to Emma. "It's lovely to meet you too, Mrs….Mills?"_

_Emma gave a snort of laughter. "Ah, no. Swan. Emma Swan. Miss."_

_"Oh! I'm so sorry. The way Henry talked about his moms, I just assumed…"_

_Henry was smiling at his parents' obvious discomfort. "Yeah, they're not actually married. They've just acted like it for the last five or six years."_

Emma ran a hand through her son's hair.

He was lying on a bed, lit by candlelight, with a small smile on his face. She wouldn't leave him there forever; she wasn't cruel. In fact, she was going to give him everything he wanted.

She just had to make sure he stopped wanting to write stories first.

….

Gold's shop was eerily silent when Regina appeared; she immediately sensed something was wrong. She had gone there to search through Gold's extensive collection of artefacts in the hope that _something_ would speak to her when Merlin's library hadn't. But now…

She heard a muffled noise coming from the back room; it was the room where Rumplestiltskin had been resting since the Dark One had left him. Regina frowned and slowly made her way to the back of the shop, a fireball already in her hand. But when she pulled aside the curtain, all she saw was Belle, hunched over Rumple and with silent tears slipping down her cheeks.

"What's happened?"

Belle blinked up at her. "He's dying."

Regina stared down at Rumple's lifeless form, a strange mix of sadness and bewilderment on her face. "That…that can't be."

Belle wiped her eyes. "I know. But it's true. My locket alerted me and I came straight here…"

"You didn't call anyone?"

Belle tucked a stray lock of Rumplestiltskin's hair back from his face. "No."

"But…" Her mind was racing, even though she felt as though she were walking through quicksand. "There's probably a spell, or something at the hospital, or…or a…"

"No more spells. No more magic. No more _deals_. He's been on borrowed, desperate time for hundreds of years. I want…" Belle hesitated, but then pushed on. "I want to give him something he's never had, Regina: the quiet. Peace. I just want to be here with him, so he's not afraid."

Regina tried to imagine Rumplestiltskin, a man who was her mentor, her enemy, and at times even a friend, ever being afraid and found that she could not. But she could imagine with cold dread what her own life would look like when it flashed before her eyes, at the end. Belle was giving Rumple a gift greater than either of them deserved.

Regina sank down into a chair, suddenly very aware of the softly ticking clocks in the antique shop.

….

At the edge of the forest, Ruby's nostrils flared. She could have sworn that she smelled Henry Mills…but Lily told her he was in Camelot. She pressed her ears back and took another whiff. Odd. The scent was very faint, but also very fresh. She cocked her head and decided to investigate.

She kept to the back roads, slinking from backyard to garbage pile.

The trail ended outside of Geppetto's place. She saw a stranger inside, standing with crossed arms as the woodcarver worked carefully on something small. She cocked her head; she had no idea why this stranger smelled faintly of Henry, or why Geppetto was being so accommodating.

Ruby's eyes narrowed as her fur bristled. She sat between the craftsman's various woodpiles, and waited.

…

With the way her day was going, Regina shouldn't have been surprised by the devastation she found at her vault. She stared at the broken glass that littered the floor and the charred remains of boxes and books; she pressed a hand to her eyes and sighed. _I guess there was more to my dream than just the book._ She supposed she should be grateful that her father's tomb hadn't been desecrated, or worse. And she was. But that didn't stop her from staring at years of magic, ruined, and feeling the drain of renewed helplessness.

She had nothing. Regina Mills was not a woman to give up in the face of adversity, but she had no idea how to fight the darkness in Emma Swan. Her brief burst of hope had quieted when she'd seen Rumplestiltskin slipping away in the back of his own pawn shop. She had seen death…she had been the cause of so much of it. But the finality she had seen in the stillness of her mentor's face, _that_ had shaken her to her core.

If you go up against the Darkness…you lose. Maybe not at first, maybe not for centuries. But ultimately, the Darkness had immortality on its side.

Regina had a blank book and piles of shattered glass.

She righted a couple of candles and lit them; their gentle energy gave some softness to the destruction. She sifted through the broken and burnt items to see what could be salvaged. She started tucking the few things she did find into her pocket, but as she did so a strange, creeping feeling started to work its way up her spine. She shook her head and kept working, but her hand stilled around a small bottle of pink elixir as she remembered her dream once again. In it, she had been gathering these items outside of her vault, since the doors wouldn't open for her. The dragon had wrapped itself around the building, churning smoke and warning her away.

She swallowed.

Glass and gravel crunched under her boots as she turned and made her way back towards the stairs, but before she could leave a familiar white mist appeared and Emma stood in front of her.

Regina conjured a fireball and held it steady. "Get away from me."

"Not until you give me the dagger."

"You know I'm never going to give you unchecked dark power."

"I know this idealism of yours is new. And fragile." The Dark One hadn't moved from the place she'd appeared. She raised an eyebrow. "Being a hero is hard, Regina, and you don't have it in you."

Emma sent out a pulse of magic, and suddenly Regina found the fireball engulfing her own hand; she gasped and clutched her wrist, willing the flames to go out. She clenched her teeth and glared at the Dark One. "Fine. Kill me a piece at a time. I deserve worse. But I'm never giving you the dagger."

"You keep saying that word, as though there's nothing in the world you'd trade it for, when we both know that's not true."

"Henry is safe from you."

Emma smiled. "Of course he is. I'm no threat to Henry; I love him."

At that, Regina faltered. She stared into Emma's eyes, looking for any slip or bluff, but she saw only confidence. "You…but there's no way you could have gotten into Camelot to get him."

"Correct. But it was quite simple to get our self-sacrificing son to step outside of his own accord. As it turns out, he already feels some kind of family loyalty when it comes to his baby uncle Neal."

Regina hurled a volley of fireballs and spells at the Dark One, who launched a vicious counter-attack that left Regina crumpled amidst the glass shards on the floor; she pushed herself up, ignored the blood, and fired again but Emma swiftly extinguished the flames and grabbed Regina by the throat. "Where is the dagger?"

Regina clutched uselessly at Emma's wrist. "What have you done with Henry?" she choked. "Where is he?"

Emma raised an eyebrow. "The dagger, Regina."

She closed her eyes, straining to breathe. "I don't have it."

"You know who does."

"I don't!"

Emma yanked her close and hissed in her ear, "I can't believe you'd be that foolish. Tell me. Because if you don't give me that dagger, Regina, you are never going to see your son again."

Regina reached out a hand in desperation to try to summon _anything_ to her, so she could hit the Dark One over the head, anything but hang there, slowly losing consciousness. As she struggled she heard Emma growl, "No," and she looked at her in confusion.

Emma's face was twisted in rage. "NO!" The white mist started to consume them both.

….

Ruby stood outside of the mouth of the onyx cave, with a dragon on one side of her and a knight of the Round Table on the other. She held up the dagger. "Dark One! I summon thee!"

….


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ::get faster at posting, get faster at posting:: the mantra of every writer :/  
> lol thank you all so much for the response to the last chapter. Reviews and kudoses and bookmarks are everything, but an extra hug as always to my readers who are leaving comments xox, DHD

The plan was a simple one, but each piece of it was critical. Ruby's sole focus had to be the dagger—any misstep with it could cost them everything. Henry would need protection, the kind a knight of the Round Table could provide.

The task of shielding Ruby and Kelemon from everything else fell to the dragon.

….

"You will not harm any of us."

Regina heard the words before she could see who'd spoken them; as soon as the white smoke of the Dark One cleared, she saw they were in a distant section of Storybrooke's woods.

_"Put her down!"_

It was Ruby, Ruby Lucas, the girl last seen in the hospital in a coma. She stood strong, eyes blazing, with the Dark One's dagger held high in her hand. Emma's teeth were clenched so hard Regina thought they might shatter as the Dark One released her hold on Regina's throat; the queen crumpled to the ground, gasping.

"You're a fool to challenge me," Emma spat. But then her eyes fell to Kelemon and widened, ever slightly, at the vague recognition of a woman she'd only ever seen through a barrier of nightmares.

"Don't you worry about her," Ruby growled. "Where is Henry?"

Emma's eyes narrowed. "In a safe place."

Ruby cocked her head and took the slightest step backwards. She now stood in the mouth of the cave; dark onyx shimmered with magic as she clarified: "No games, you monster. No slippery half-truths. Tell me exactly where your son is."

Regina stared up at the Dark One, dreading the answer.

Emma's hands clenched into fists at her sides as she tried to fight the power of the dagger. "He's here. In Storybrooke. In a half-realm."

"What?" Regina whispered, her voice raspy. A half-realm was a suspended place between worlds. They were incredibly unstable and carried great risk to anyone passing through. "You said he was safe!"

"He _is,"_ Emma snapped. "He's asleep. He'll be fine as long as he stays…"

Regina stood up as anger bubbled through her veins. "What have you done to him?" But when she moved to grab Emma, a searing wall of flames appeared between them and she leaped back.

_Lily._

The dragon was lying between the trees, her golden eyes fixed on Regina, who swallowed and composed herself.

"Answer her question," Ruby commanded.

Emma gave Regina a withering look. "I've put him to sleep so I can neutralize the threat he presents me. He is under a spell to alter his natural gifts and aspirations."

Regina watched Kelemon's eyes dart to Ruby, but the wolf stayed focused on the Dark One. "Is it too late to stop it from working?"

"No."

She leveled the point of the dagger at Emma. "Then _bring him here._ Safely and unharmed. And undo the magic you have him under."

Regina was sure the next one to breathe fire would be Emma as she did as the dagger compelled her. "Tread carefully, wolf," the Dark One hissed. "The last one to wield that against me didn't fare so well, and I didn't even need to play a part."

Regina's heart clenched at the memory. But then it felt torn in two as her son appeared in a twist of smoke, lying at the Dark One's feet. Regina gave a soft cry and started to go to him when a hot plume of smoke pushed her back; Lily's rumbling growl shook the ground beneath her feet.

Emma placed her hands over Henry and murmured a spell; his whole body started to glow as he stirred and blinked. When it was over, his eyes went wide and he scrambled to his feet.

"Henry…"

He quickly took in his surroundings: the cave, the dagger, the knight, dragon, and wolf…and both of his mothers. He looked at Regina with warmth and relief. "Mom. You're ok."

"Henry, over here." Kelemon had her hand out to him.

He looked at her and held up a finger before turning back to his mother. "Do you have it?"

Regina blinked. "Have…?"

She didn't see Emma move, but Ruby did. The Dark One had raised her hands to unleash some burst of magic at them, but Ruby caught her in time. "Don't move, Dark One! Or cast any magic. Unless I command it."

Regina pulled Henry to her, tight, and just breathed in his scent, his love. _Her son was ok._

"Mom, do you have the book?"

Her eyes widened; he must have figured out how to use it. Her heart swelled with pride, as well as fear for him. "What are you going to do?"

"He's going to kill me."

Her eyes darted to the Dark One, who looked so very much like the old Emma, if only for a moment. She noticed Henry did not face his other mother as Emma continued: "That's what he's going to do."

She felt a chill in her heart at _that_ thought. Henry couldn't be the one to do that; it would ruin him.

"Regina," Kelemon said, her voice strong. "Trust Henry, please."

Regina's brow furrowed as she took in all of them as if for the first time. "You're all…this is part of the same plan."

"And we don't have the time to explain it," Kelemon said.

There was a great crunching of branches and brush as the dragon leaned forward and sent a snort of smoke Regina's way: a warning.

"Mom," Henry said softly. "I need the book. _Please."_

"Regina, don't do this." Emma's eyes were pleading. "Don't give him power he doesn't understand. Don't hurt him, Regina."

She hesitated, and hated herself for it. The Dark One knew just what to say to get under her skin. She absolutely did _not_ want to hand her child magic she knew nothing about. It _could_ hurt him, her little prince, and she would never forgive herself…but then again, there stood Kelemon, and Ruby and Lily, all united behind him…and didn't she trust _them?_ She took a deep breath; she would give him the book, but on one condition: "Henry…let me help you. Whatever this is, I can…"

With a thunderous roar, the dragon breathed fire right at her; Regina cried out and threw up her hands for a counter-spell, and as she did Henry snatched the small leather book from her grasp and ran for Kelemon. The knight grabbed him and yanked him into the mouth of the cave, next to Ruby, as Lily came out of the trees and placed her massive form between Regina and the others.

She glared daggers at the dragon. "You know it doesn't work out well for people who try to keep my son from me."

Kelemon kept a hand on Henry's shoulder as he dug through a small bag. "Regina, we are _not_ the enemy. _She_ is. And we are all trying to protect Henry from her. Don't fight us. Help us."

Regina glanced back at the Dark One, whose worry for Henry had clearly been another façade; Emma stood now with a face ripped with anger, straining against the dagger's commands with everything she had.

Clouds started to gather overhead, and the wind picked up. Ruby held the dagger steady. "I said no magic, Dark One!"

Emma gave her a sickly grin. "It isn't me, wolf. Perhaps this realm is trying to tell you that you're making a mistake."

"That's it. You are not to speak anymore, either, unless I ask you to."

Behind Ruby, Kelemon had taken the bag back from Henry; he was taking deep breaths, his eyes closed in concentration, with the book in one hand…

…and a pen in the other.

…..

She didn't think it was possible to feel anything anymore, not outside of anger or irritation anyway.

But now, as she stood immobile and powerless with her eyes on the Author, she felt Fear.

A cold emptiness started to fill her. It ached.

As the Author started to write, she was drowning in ice, screaming into a void, buried by shadows.

And she couldn't make a sound.

…..

Emma was sweating.

Regina could see it, as impossible as it was: a cold sweat had broken out on the Dark One. "Henry…"

"He knows what he's doing, Regina," Kelemon insisted.

Regina ground her teeth, helpless, as her son scribbled away in the small leather book.

….

"Why haven't we found him?" Snow asked, a tremor in her voice.

Maleficent sighed and pressed a hand to her eyes. The locator spell had brought her and the Charmings to the harbor but then had them going in circles.

David placed a hand on his wife's shoulder. "He isn't…I mean, Emma didn't…?"

"No. A confusing lack of results with a locator spell doesn't mean anything bad has happened to your son," Mal assured them. "It's more likely that the Dark One has him hidden. Possibly in another realm."

"Another _realm?"_

Mal rolled her eyes. "Before you go off and do something…stupid…what in the…?"

The three of them looked up at the clouds swirling over Storybrooke. "What is that?" Snow asked.

Mal felt her stomach sink at the sight of red and purple lightning within the darkest part of the clouds, the part over the forest. "Magic."

"What do we…"

But Mal had already started to transform; moments later she was racing through the sky.

…..

"Ruby, are you all right?!"

The wolf had held her hand up against the racing winds as the other one continued to hold the dagger steady. "I'm fine!" she shouted at Kelemon. "Don't worry about me!"

Lily had moved to stand over them and block as much of the wind as she could; it was whipping the pages of Henry's book, and soon he had to press it to the cave wall to maintain control of it while he continued to write furiously.

As he wrote, Emma started to change.

First, it looked as though she was struggling to catch her breath, but then they could see she was soaked with sweat and trembling. Regina kept trying to get through the trees to join them in the cave, but Lily gnashed her teeth and continued to drive her back.

They couldn't afford any distractions, even the well-intentioned ones.

But then Emma fell to the ground.

Ruby frowned and held the dagger higher. "Get up, Dark One!"

But Emma, whose hands were braced on the ground, didn't move.

The wind blew Ruby's hair into her eyes and she angrily pushed it away. "Dark One, I command you to stand up!"

Emma started to scream.

Ruby blinked at the dagger, uncomprehending, until she heard Kelemon's cry and turned to see Emma's skin turning from a light grey, to a dark grey…

…to black.

Henry continued to write, tears slipping down his face, as his mother screamed. The tiniest black dots started to rise from the Dark One into the air surrounding her. They were joined by larger and larger droplets, until it looked like strips of blackened skin were peeling off of Emma and floating around her until she was almost impossible to see.

The dagger started to pull.

"No, no, no," Ruby murmured. "No!" She held on with all of her might, but the magic was too strong; the dagger was ripped from her hands, to join the swirl of blackened strips and droplets racing around Emma Swan, who was still screaming on the forest floor.

"Emma!" Regina shouted. _"Henry!"_

Henry brushed the tears from his eyes and kept writing; Kelemon kept one hand on his shoulder and the other on her sword. "It's working, Henry," Ruby said; she said it as much for herself, as she watched a woman who used to be her friend writhing on the ground, as she did for his benefit. "Don't give up. Don't stop."

The skies above them lit up like the Fourth of July, and before any of them could register what was happening Lily had pushed off and was racing upwards with a snarl and burst of flames. Ruby stepped out of the cave and saw a second dragon had joined the fray: Maleficent.

_Great._

Lily would have to focus her energy on keeping her mother out of the fight, which left Ruby to deal with…whatever it was that was happening with Emma. She looked in horror as Regina attempted to reach out to Emma, who released a burst of magic that sent the other woman crashing into a tree.

Emma was untethered.

The Darkness was out, swirling in an angry mass above her as she screamed below it. Her own magic was sputtering and snapping, rushing to fill a void within her that couldn't be sated. If Ruby could get close to her, she could try to get Emma into the cave; its protective qualities should be able to provide her with some comfort, any comfort …but first Ruby had to wait until Henry's job was done.

"Now," Henry said, his voice surprisingly strong. "I have to step outside now."

Kelemon ground her teeth but allowed it.

The two women flanked him as he held the book open. The Dark vortex tried to fight the pull of Merlin's magic, but lost—with a roar that uprooted several nearby trees, the swirling mass was pulled to Henry's hands, into the pages of the small, leather-bound book, turning every page into a solid sheet of blackness.

Henry slammed the book shut. Only then did he spare a look for his mother, who continued to shake and send forth the occasional burst of power while gasping for air. "Mom…"

Ruby grabbed his hand. "I've got her, Henry. You have to go with Kelemon. You're not done yet."

Kelemon slipped a bracelet onto his wrist.

….

Regina's head was ringing. Her whole body hurt. But when she opened her eyes and saw Emma Swan in agony, she stood up anyway, fighting the wave of nausea. She was vaguely aware of someone calling her name. She squinted past Emma to see Ruby coming towards her; she was giving Emma a wide berth. But… _Henry,_ where was Henry? She glanced around frantically until her eyes fell on her son and the knight from Camelot; before she could call out for him, the pair vanished in a burst of light.

"No," she whispered.

She looked back at Ruby but still couldn't make out what the woman was trying to tell her.

Had her son just… _ripped_ the Darkness out of the Dark One? If he had…

She watched Emma Swan as her light magic swirled out of control. What must she be feeling? Regina shuddered: probably everything. The woman was being completely overwhelmed, not only by her magic, but probably by physical and emotional sensations as they returned from wherever the Darkness had stuffed them. Regina pushed forward. Emma had stopped screaming; her face was now twisted in silent agony.

At some point, Ruby had reached her. "Regina, are you all right? Regina?"

Regina's eyes never left Emma. "The Darkness is gone?"

"Yes," Ruby breathed. "If you help me get her to the cave, it should help soothe her transition back to…"

"No," Regina said as she rolled up her sleeves.

"No? But…"

"Where is Henry? Is he all right?"

"He's shaken but he's ok. He's gone back to Camelot with Kelemon to finish the ritual."

Regina held out a hand to shield them both from a stray burst of Emma's magic. "Tell him I'm proud of him. Tell him he saved us all. He took care of the Dark One…the least I can do is take care of Emma."

"Regina…"

But then the purple mist was enveloping both Regina and Emma, and the forest around them vanished.

An instant later, Regina was bracing herself as her Mercedes flew over the town line, with Emma Swan completely limp in the backseat.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your kudos and comments  
> EDIT: The next chapter will be the last for this story; as such it's taken me a bit longer to edit (I thought it would be two more chapters but it just didn't feel right). Thank you all for reading, final chapter to be posted soon xox--DHD

"Where in the hell is my _family?"_ Snow thundered. They had driven David's truck at a breakneck pace through the streets of Storybrooke before going off-road and following the trail of destruction to the cave. The forest around them was marked with uprooted trees and scorch marks on the rocks. And now at the end of their trail they found only Maleficent and Lily.

And…

"Ruby," David breathed.

Snow's eyes widened as the allowed herself the briefest breath of relief. "Ruby…you're…"

Her best friend folded Snow into her arms. "I'm all right."

"But how did you…you were…oh Ruby, we were so afraid for you!" Snow wiped her eyes and gave a shuddering breath. "What happened here? Where are my children, and my grandson?"

Ruby exchanged a glance with Lily, who was engaged in a similar conversation with her mother. "Two of them are safe in Camelot. Emma traded Neal for Henry in the other realm, but then she brought Henry here and he was able to use his power as the Author to…to make everything right. Kelemon took him back to Camelot to complete the ritual."

David placed a hand on his wife's shoulder. "What ritual? And where's Emma?"

….

"They're here."

King Arthur gave a nod to the messenger, dismissing him, and raised an eyebrow at his wife.

"Remarkable," Guinevere said softly.

"One last surprise from my dear departed friend. Merlin foresaw all of this. It's why there was always an Author, and an Apprentice. He saw _everything."_

The queen placed a hand on her husband's arm. "Are you all right?"

The king sighed. "I used to think myself so clever, Gwen. Merlin's teachings humbled me. Our sufferings…" he squeezed her hand… "humbled me. And still, today, I find myself in awe of what I did not know, could not even _fathom,_ that he could."

"And why does this trouble you so?"

Arthur ran a hand through his beard. "Because I am ashamed that it is humility that is to be my lifelong lesson to learn."

Guinevere gazed at him thoughtfully. "Don't feel shame today, Arthur. Celebrate our connection to the wisest man in any realm. Celebrate that he made you want to be a better man. Celebrate that he found another young man worthy to share the weight of the world. Henry is a bright and inquisitive boy. He looks up to you." She gave a warm smile. "He reminds me very much of you, actually. Don't be so hard on yourself. Where would we be without young people who think they can do it all?"

Arthur leaned over and kissed her. "Thank you."

"Come. Let's meet them in the courtyard."

…..

The boy stood with Kelemon's hand on his shoulder, clutching the small leather book to his chest. Henry's eyes were red-rimmed but determined. At King Arthur's nod, he stepped forward to Merlin's tree.

Henry gazed up into the branches that were swaying even without a breeze. He took a deep breath and squatted down, digging a small trench in the earth with his hands as the king and queen and the Knights of the Round Table watched him. When he was done, he pushed the book with its blackened pages into the hole and filled it in.

For a breath, nothing happened.

But then the roots of Merlin's tree moved and twisted as a small sapling pushed its way up. With a great groan the trunk leaned and contorted as the sapling grew wider and taller and wrapped itself around the larger tree. The two trunks twisted, branches whirling, until there was a warm pulse of light that cooled to reveal a single tree with a glistening silver trunk and golden leaves.

The queen pressed her hand to her chest. Henry wiped his eyes.

King Arthur stepped forward and pressed a hand to the trunk of the tree. He gazed upwards. "Rest, my friend. Now you can rest."

…..

_She missed the Darkness._

_She hadn't realized how comforting it was, not until it was gone. In its place was blinding light and constant sound. She felt as though ants were crawling all over her body, across every inch of skin, and she couldn't shake them off. She was so cold she trembled, until she became so hot she felt sick to her stomach. Her stomach. A hollow source of pain. She tried to press her hands to it so it didn't feel so empty, but she couldn't move. And still the light grew brighter, whiter, and even though her eyes were squeezed shut against it she might as well have been staring into the sun._

_It hurt._

_And the voices. So many, all overlapping, no one taking turns. Shouting, laughing, crying, everything surrounded her, then a high-pitched pulsing that cut through everything else, that sounded like…_

_…it sounded like…_

_A sound she might know. Not a forest sound. It was too high, too steady a sound to belong to the forest. She wasn't in the forest anymore._

_Soon the other sounds quieted to a muffled roar, blended into the background of this high pulsing noise. The light was less agonizing, but still painful, and her brow furrowed at the low rumble now being repeated slowly, over and over, near her ear. It sounded like the exhaling of a breath, gentle and low. And there it was again. It_ was _a breath; she could feel it on her cheek, she could feel her hair pushed back and forth by it, ever so slightly, ever so…_

_Then the breath plus the low rumble must have been a voice. There was someone else with her in this bright torturous realm. The voice was saying something, the sound repeated over and over, until she finally recognized it as her name._

_"Emma?"_

_She frowned; she didn't want to open her eyes to the searing light, but she didn't want to be alone, either. She recognized more words._

_"Emma, you're safe now. You're all right."_

_Oh, did she want to believe that. But she'd been fooled before. Safety, real safety, had always been just out of reach for her. Safety was a family. And this time she'd been so close, so close to having a family before the Darkness came and…_

_"Emma, your wife is here. She's right here. She's awfully worried about you…how about opening your eyes for her?"_

_Her what?_

_Her wife?_

_Emma's eyes flew open and she gasped against the pain. She blinked, then squinted at the person speaking to her: a woman in a white coat. The high pitched beeping continued. But she still couldn't move…_

_"There she is." The woman smiled at her, then turned to instruct someone that Emma couldn't see. "Would you please let them know Emma Mills is awake?"_

_Emma tried to keep her eyes from widening in the lights, but the shock was making it difficult. Emma Mills? The woman moved out of her line of sight, allowing Emma to see that someone else was in the room._

_Regina. She was standing against the wall, eyes round and full of tears. "I thought I'd lost you. But you're safe now."_

_That word again: safe. Family. Emma_ Mills? _The other woman had called Regina her wife, and now Regina was assuring her that she was all right. And then Emma knew, beyond a doubt._

_She must be dead._

_….._

"Emma? Emma!" Regina rushed to her side; Emma had started shaking, pulling against the restraints on her hospital bed, as a low painful moan escaped her lips.

Regina brushed the other woman's hair back from her face and listened to the low rush of words spilling from Emma's mouth: _I hurt them, I wish he'd never found me, she loved me and I hurt her, I wish I'd never had a birthday, they'll never know, never, and what was the point, why was this it, a waste, I was only ever a waste…_

"No, no, Emma. Emma stop this. Listen to me!"

The doctor came back in and placed a gentle hand on Regina's arm. "Mrs. Mills, I'll ask you again: are you sure your wife wasn't hiding a drug problem from you?"

Regina pressed a hand to her eyes; she'd been through so much, but the pressure of navigating a hospital outside of Storybrooke might be the thing to break her. "I'm sure."

"All right. The lab results will be back in a few hours; hopefully we'll get some more information then." She raised an eyebrow. "And no history of mental illness? Hallucinations, schizophrenia?"

Regina gave a humorless laugh. "No."

Emma chose that moment to scream about something coming for her; in a flurry of activity the doctor had her sedated, again. Regina returned to her side, jaw clenched.

The doctor cleared her throat. "Mrs. Mills, is there anything else you can think of that you maybe haven't told us? It's a stressful situation. I only ask because I want very much to give your wife the best possible care."

 _Her wife._ The word made her heart ache every time the doctor said it.

When she'd driven across Storybrooke's town line, there had been only one thought in her head: keep Emma's light magic from devouring her. She had to stop the magic, magic that was out of control in a way no one could understand. She had to save her. But as soon as they'd crossed the line, Emma had become completely unresponsive. Regina had driven farther, hoping that Emma would wake up after her body had gotten a chance to rest. But then she'd pulled the car over and really looked at the other woman: her pallor had been sickly, her cheeks sharper than usual, her lips dry. Regina couldn't wake her. She'd gotten a sickening feeling in her stomach and driven to the nearest ER; when they tried to make her wait as they rushed Emma through the double doors, she'd told them she was her wife.

She wasn't leaving her alone.

Regina had never thought about what she herself looked like until she realized people were looking at her; she still had cuts on her hands from the glass in her vault, and visible bruises from where Emma's magic had flung her into a tree. She'd had to think fast. Her wife was a hiking enthusiast, she'd told the doctors. It wasn't unusual for Emma to camp on the trails; it was her favorite way of clearing her head. Regina said she'd gone looking for her when she didn't come home after a few days. She'd found her, and had fallen herself in her desperation to get to her.

But when the doctors came back to her and said Emma was dangerously dehydrated and malnourished, Regina had fallen into her own private despair. She'd been so worried about magic hurting Emma that she hadn't considered how it had been helping her; being the Dark One meant she'd needed little to nothing else to sustain her. In the non-magical realm, that meant she hadn't slept or eaten, and with the physical exertions that had been put on her body, she was steps from death.

"There's nothing else," Regina said softly. "Please believe me when I say I wish I could tell you more."

…

The funeral for Rumplestiltskin was a private affair, attended only by Belle and his grandson, newly returned from Camelot. The two of them stood together afterwards, staring down at the freshly covered grave.

"Thank you for being here," Belle said quietly. "It would have meant a lot to him. The most important thing to Rumple was his family, though he showed it terribly."

Henry nodded. "There's a lot of that in our family, actually."

She gave him a soft smile.

"Should we go back now?"

Belle shook her head. "I'd like to stay. But you go ahead, Henry. I'll say some private words to him."

"I'm sorry he's gone."

"Me too. But I'm glad he's found peace, at last."

Henry nodded and started walking back towards town. He pulled his phone from his pocket and saw several texts from David saying they would meet him at Granny's for dinner.

There was still no word from either of his mothers.

He glanced back over his shoulder at Belle, with her hand on Rumplestiltskin's headstone. He swallowed down the ache and worry in his heart and kept walking.

…

"...Regina?"

It almost didn't wake her, it was so quiet. Regina had fallen asleep with her head on Emma's bed; she sat up straight now, blinking sleep away and pushing her hair from her eyes. "I'm here." She took the Savior's hand in her own. "I'm right here, Emma."

The other woman was looking at her with fear in her eyes. "Am I dead?"

"What?" Regina breathed. "No. Oh no, you're not." She placed a tender hand on Emma's cheek. "You're alive and you're with me. Henry saved you and I drove you over the line and away from magic. You're in a hospital, but you're very much alive."

Emma blinked. "But they said…but we're not married…"

"I had to tell them that so they wouldn't keep me from you." Regina squeezed her hand. "This is real, you're here, and…no, we're not married but…I don't think anyone needs to know that." She tried giving Emma a small smile.

Emma closed her eyes; Regina felt her tremble as tears started to slip down her cheeks. "I thought I was dead. I was sure. Why am I alive, Regina? How?"

"I don't care how," Regina bit off.

Emma looked at her, surprised by her ferocity. "What?"

Regina quickly brushed tears from her own eyes and cleared her throat. "I said I don't care how. It doesn't matter."

They sat in silence. Regina thought Emma may have drifted off again until she heard her say, ever so softly: "There's so much, Regina. So many terrible…I…how do I fix what I've done? Where do I start to…"

"You're not listening to me. You are _alive._ You're right here: we're safe, and together." Regina brought Emma's hand to her lips and kissed it, hard. "Nothing else matters. Not today."

Her tone brokered no argument. She swallowed, and kept Emma's hand pressed to her cheek, gently stroking the back of it with her thumb.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your patience and kind words. This is the last full chapter, though there will be an epilogue following this. Please continue to let me know your thoughts on this piece and thanks so much for reading. xox--DHD

In retrospect, she should have found _some_ way of contacting the others. Henry at the very least. It would have saved their loved ones so much unnecessary heartache, worry, and fear. Regina would look back on her decision several times in the years to come, and she would always wonder the same thing: if she'd tried, _could_ she have reached Storybrooke from the outside? They'd left so quickly, she hadn't brought any magical items with her. But could she have found a way to spare the rest of their family their grief over the unknown? If she'd only tried, could she have been a less selfish person for once in her life? But every time she would ask herself the question, she would come to the same conclusion—that at the time, it wasn't a matter of trying or not trying; the choice didn't even occur to her. Nothing occurred to her except making Emma whole again. She would come to feel immense guilt for not thinking of Henry first…and then she would think on that, on what it must mean, that she could forget her son's heartache while her world centered on Emma Swan, brave loyal Emma Swan, and how an evil queen could possibly begin to heal her savior's darkened heart.

…..

They were in the hospital another two days before Emma was declared healthy enough to be discharged. Her doctors wanted her to stay longer, but they couldn't have known it wouldn't do any good. Regina knew they were worried about Emma's mental state; to be honest, so was she. Emma had barely spoken since the first time she'd woken up. Mostly she held Regina's hand, and slept. They couldn't really talk there, not about what they really needed to, without worrying that someone would think they'd both lost their minds.

So as soon as Emma was physically cleared, they left. Regina pulled the car around while an orderly wheeled Emma out.

It wasn't until they were many miles down the highway that Emma spoke. "I can't go home, Regina."

"I know that." She reached across the car and grabbed Emma's hand, squeezing tightly. "I know."

Emma started to cry, and Regina's heart broke. She just wanted to pull her into her arms, but she couldn't; not yet. She had to drive them somewhere safe first, because once she wrapped her arms around Emma she wasn't going to let go.

"Somewhere safe" proved to be a series of cabins for hunters, deep in the Maine woods about an hour west of Storybrooke. Regina paid for one that was simple, but clean. The main room held a sleeper sofa, wood-burning stove, small kitchen, and a table. There was a small bathroom tucked in the hallway before you entered the bedroom, which had one full bed and two sets of bunks on the far wall.

Emma had fallen asleep in the passenger seat, which gave Regina the opportunity to move what little stuff they had into the cabin. She'd been able to secure a few sets of clothes, as well as basic groceries, by placing her trust (and a few hundred dollars) in the hands of a particularly kind orderly in the hospital. They didn't need anything else, not yet.

There was a stack of wood inside for the stove, and a larger stack just outside the front door. Regina switched on a few lights once everything was settled before heading back out to the car; she opened the passenger door and knelt down. "Emma."

The blonde blinked at her, then frowned at the unfamiliar surroundings. "Where are we?"

"A campground, about seventy miles from home. We can stay here as long as we need." She held out her hand. "Come on."

Once inside, Regina led Emma to the flannel pajama set she'd left on the bed. "I figured you'd appreciate something familiar." To her delight, Emma gave her a small smile in response.

Regina left her to change, and tried her luck at starting a fire without magic.

It was not one of her prouder moments.

She was still muttering curses at the spent pile of matches when she heard a soft laugh behind her. "You need better kindling," Emma said.

"Oh do I?"

"Yeah." Emma pointed to the pile of newspapers in the corner. "Those aren't for reading. Here."

Regina scooted aside and watched as Emma crumpled up old newspages and stuffed them under the logs. When she lit a match, it caught quickly, and with a little coaxing the fire was soon growing.

Regina raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Started a lot of fires, have you, Miss Swan?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

They settled back onto the couch as night fell, and let the glow of the fire comfort them.

"Are you hungry?"

Emma shook her head.

"All right then; I'll make soup."

"Regina—"

"Dinner is not up for debate," she snapped. She closed her eyes, immediately regretting her outburst. "I'm sorry. It's just…you _have_ to eat, you…" She swallowed the rest of her sentence along with her emotions and got to work in the kitchen as though nothing was wrong.

Chicken stock and vegetables: easy. Regina could prepare that in her sleep. They had cans of soup as well, but those would be for another day; Emma's first night away from the hospital should be marked with fresh, home-cooked food. After wincing at the limited options in kitchenware (plastic cutting boards and American-made knives), Regina got to work. She got so lost in chopping and dicing that she didn't notice Emma had moved to the table until she turned to grab a head of cabbage; Regina started.

"I'm sorry," Emma said.

"No it's all right, I wasn't paying any…"

"I mean about dinner. You're right; I need to eat, even if all I _want_ is to go to sleep and…and just stay that way."

Regina allowed herself to meet Emma's eyes. "You especially need to eat then." She didn't know what else to say; she wanted to say everything and nothing. She wanted to take the pain from Emma's eyes, assure her that everything was going to be ok. So she did the only thing she was sure she could actually do: she kept cooking.

She remained vaguely aware of the other woman as Emma explored their living space. Apparently there were a few old paperbacks on a shelf with a couple of maps mixed in. There was a deck of cards and a few board games. There was a rusted hunting knife and fishing poles that had seen better days. And then…

"Get out."

Regina's brow furrowed as she ladled generous portions of soup into bowls. "What?"

Emma was smiling, genuinely. It was beautiful. "A cassette deck."

Regina shook her head. "Not even a CD player?" She supposed they should be lucky the place had electricity.

"There must be tapes."

"They're probably rotted." She set the table while Emma vanished to the bedroom, briefly, and returned victorious.

"There's six of them. Movie soundtracks, rock, country…"

"Surprise me."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Famous last words." She shuffled the tapes behind her back and popped one in the player. A woman's strong voice filled the cabin, followed by guitar chords; Emma turned it down considerably before sitting at the table.

"Who are we listening to?"

"Dolly Parton."

Regina set two glasses of water down before sitting. "In all of my time in this realm I don't think I've ever heard much of her music."

"Me neither."

"An education for us both, then."

They ate in comfortable silence, as the songs continued quietly in the background.

"This is really good, Regina. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Emma ended up finishing a second helping before exhaustion set back in, but Regina was satisfied. She shooed Emma back to the couch while she cleaned up. She heard an odd noise while she washed the dishes, but didn't think anything of it until the heard it again while she was drying—it was the squiggly sound of a tape being rewound. She glanced over and saw that Emma was sitting on the floor with her back against the shelf with the cassette playing, listening to the same song over and over.

Regina frowned but gave Emma her space. She dried the dishes with a worn towel and placed them back in the cupboards.

_"She's a sparrow when/she is broken…but she's an Eagle When She Flies…"_

She heard the squiggly rewind again. Regina filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove before turning to look at Emma.

_"Her heart's as soft as feathers/still she weathers stormy skies…and she's a sparrow when/she is broken…"_

"Emma."

Emma's gaze was somewhere else, far away, as she listened. Regina went to her side and crouched down; she held out her hand. "Come with me."

"I'm all right."

"Come with me or I'm throwing the tape player out the window."

Emma blinked at that and gave her her hand; Regina pulled her up and to the front door. She opened it and they both stood on the top step, gazing out into the dark forest.

Emma shifted uncomfortably. "What is it?"

But Regina found that she didn't have any words. She'd wanted Emma to get a breath of fresh air, to break the inevitable gloom that had started to settle back over them both. They _had_ to talk. They had to say something about everything that had happened, and what they could do about it, and what Emma needed. They couldn't tiptoe around it, it was too big. But words…what could be said? _Nice night. Sure makes up for you being possessed and your son ripping the Darkness out of you even though it could have killed you. I mean the alternative was it possessing_ me _instead and then I probably would have murdered your parents and most of your friends. You only killed a stranger, left a friend for dead, and tortured the rest with mind games. Hot chocolate?_

"If you don't mind, Regina," Emma hedged, startling Regina from her thoughts, "I'd rather go back inside. The uh…the shadows out here, they're…frightening."

Regina looked at her with concern. "You're afraid?"

Emma shrugged, in attempt to make it look like it was nothing. "Just of the shadows. They were kind of…always at the edge of my vision. Before. Especially when I was attacked or didn't have control."

"Of course, I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be. You couldn't have known."

They stepped back into the warm light of the cabin. Regina pushed the door shut and locked it.

Emma wrapped her arms around herself. "Did you have something you were going to say?"

The kettle started to whistle. Regina cleared her throat and went to it, all business, until Emma placed a gentle hand on her arm as she passed; Regina took Emma's hand in hers and buried the other in blonde hair as she pulled her close and kissed her.

Emma uttered the softest of sounds as her hands went to Regina's hips and she kissed her back.

….

"You're ok."

Ruby startled from her daydreams at her lover's voice. "Oh my god, Mulan, you're awake. She's awake!" she shouted for the nurse, then clutched Mulan's hand.

"I thought I'd failed you. I thought you were dead…"

"Me? What about you?" Ruby brought Mulan's hand to her lips. "What the hell were you thinking, taking a chance like that. Offering your life force to…"

"It was my fault, Ruby. I was so stupid, I didn't know Emma was the Dark One. There were so many signs, and I led her right to our _home."_

Ruby placed firm hands on Mulan's cheeks. "Stop that. She manipulated you. I was the one that went right for her throat instead of stopping to think. I thought she was going to hurt you and I just…" She closed her eyes. "It doesn't matter now."

"Is she…?"

"Dead?" Ruby opened her eyes and tucked a strand of Mulan's hair behind her ear. "We don't know. We were able to stop her, and remove the Darkness, but she collapsed and Regina took her over the town line."

Mulan's eyes widened. "When?"

"Days ago. About a week, now."

Mulan swallowed. "How long was I out?"

Ruby continued to stroke her hair. "Not that long, don't worry." She was interrupted when the nurse came in to check on their newly awakened patient; Ruby took advantage of the time and texted her grandmother, who had been released from the hospital herself only a few days ago. _She's awake! She's ok._

_When are you both coming home?_

Ruby smiled and shook her head. _Not soon. She just woke up. Needs a doctor to sign off first._

_And then you're coming here?_

_For a little while._

The string of expletives Ruby got back made her laugh.

"What is it?" Mulan asked.

When the nurse left, Ruby went back to her spot next to the bed. "Granny. She wants us to stay in Storybrooke awhile. She's a little insistent about getting to know you and keeps stressing that _both_ of us need to come home."

Mulan reached for her and brought Ruby down into a kiss; the warrior sighed contentedly. "I think that sounds wonderful."

….

"It's dangerous out here," Lily called out.

Henry sighed and stayed where he was, with his back against the giant rock blocking the mouth of the cave in the forest. "Safer than it was before."

"In a town full of magic? This far into the woods?" She shook her head. "You shouldn't be here, Henry; your grandparents are worried about enough on a good day."

"I'm tired of everyone worrying about me," he grumbled. "What are you doing here?"

Lily flashed her badge. "Official acting-sheriff's business. Being able to fly makes patrolling the farthest corners of Storybrooke easier. And a little fun."

"Are you going to make me go back?"

She blinked. "Uh…did you run away?"

"No. I just couldn't stand people looking at me anymore. My grandparents are talking to me like I'm a little kid, or like I'm gonna break if we talk about my moms, meanwhile Grandma always has tears in her eyes and it's like…does _she_ need to talk? I wish she'd just… _say_ whatever it is she's thinking instead of acting like everyone's going to start crying all the time!"

"Ugh," Lily muttered. She leaned against the rock and slid her hands in her pockets.

Henry looked at her, surprised. "Ugh?"

"Yeah. I mean it sounds like it sucks over there. I wouldn't want to be there either." She looked at him, considering. "You know, what you did…I'm pretty sure that's the bravest thing I've ever seen anyone do."

Henry grimaced. "I don't feel brave. I feel like I betrayed my mom."

"Why?"

"I don't know." He chucked a rock into the brush. "Because it felt so bad. I _hurt_ her. I might have even killed her…"

"You don't blame the darkness for any of that?"

He hesitated; his brow furrowed in contemplation.

"And for what it's worth, I think Emma's alive. Otherwise Regina would already be back here and set half of Storybrooke on fire." She managed to get the smallest smile out of Henry with that; she sat down next to him. "Look Henry—families in our town are really complicated. There are secrets, and legacies, and curses, darkness, and lies, expectations and responsibilities… _and_ love. Our lives are different. Most people don't literally battle the darkness on a regular basis you know; it's usually more of a metaphor."

"I know."

Lily grinned. "Yeah that's kind of my point though, is that you _don't_ know. You grew up here. For most of your life you didn't realize it, sure, but that doesn't change that you were raised with this insane weight of the world on your shoulders, coming from all sides of your family. You're not a normal kid, Henry, no matter what anybody else might say. Hell, _I_ grew up more normal that you, and I can turn into a dragon." She turned to face him. "You saved us. The fact that it came down to you is a giant, crap failure on everyone else's part, and the fact that you were able to step up and do what needed to be done…I mean, Henry, people can't just _do_ that."

Henry still looked unsure of himself as he wrapped his arms around his knees.

Lily sighed. "I'm not great at this. All I'm trying to say is, I think Regina really messed up when she made Archie the only therapist in a town with this much baggage."

That got a genuine laugh from Henry, however brief. They stared out into the woods together as the sun started to set.

"Thanks, Lily."

She shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

…

The kettle was still whistling. Regina broke away from Emma just long enough to turn the burner off, but when she turned back, Emma was staring at her with confused eyes, her breathing shallow and erratic. Before Regina could say anything, Emma fled to the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

Regina was right behind her, cursing herself for what she'd done. "Emma? Emma!" She tried the door, but it was locked; she leaned her forehead against the rough wood and groaned. She couldn't hear anything on the other side. "Emma, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that. You were upset and I…I didn't know what to say, but I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that; I just wasn't thinking."

She jumped back as the door was suddenly flung open. "You took advantage of me?" Emma spat. "You're…apologizing because you took _advantage_ of me?"

Regina backed away. "Yes."

"Do you know what I was going to do to you, Regina? The _last_ time we kissed?" Her voice caught. "I was going to hurt you. You said you wanted me, and I…I was going to _hurt_ you. I would have kept going, whether you wanted me to or not."

Regina flushed and stayed pressed against the wall.

"You had to bring your house down on me to stop me. I had already taken advantage of you time and again, been inside your _mind,_ kidnapped our son…Regina, I killed the man you love. Robin's gone because of me." Emma was trembling with anger and hatred for herself; tears slipped down red cheeks. She was seething. "For you to bring me here after all of that, for you to take care of me, to kiss me with such…and then for _you_ to apologize to _me?_ That…it means I broke you, Regina. I counted on you to save me, but I broke you to do it. You don't deserve that. And I don't deserve anything that you're doing for me now. You need to stay away from me."

Regina was left completely speechless as Emma pushed passed her and locked herself in the bedroom; she ran a hand through her hair and did her best to collect herself.

_Emma broke her?_ Regina frowned and folded her arms across her chest. Everything the other woman had said was true, and it left Regina confused and embarrassed about her feelings. But when Emma had invaded her mind some part of Regina had been able to tell—things had been out of place or hazy, and she'd felt unsure of how to answer simple questions. Now…

Her heart ached when she remembered what had happened to Robin; guilt filled her because of her part in it. Truthfully, it had been a horrible accident, though they all could go over the "what ifs" and the "if onlys" for the rest of their lives. Robin had acted impulsively, overcome with fear and desperation; Emma had taunted him; but _Regina_ had been the one to choose Emma over Robin in the heat of the moment. She had thrown herself in front of the Dark One, knowing Robin wouldn't strike her. And he hadn't; he'd faltered, and landed on the blade instead.

_Emma hadn't told her that part._ When she'd asked the Dark One to tell her something, anything, that was true, Emma had told her what had happened to Robin…but she'd left out the part where Regina had saved her at Robin's expense.

Regina gazed at the closed bedroom door.

This is what Mal had warned her about. Her feelings for the woman behind the Dark One meant everything was complicated, twisted. But what about that woman's feelings for her?

_I counted on you to save me._ Emma had been aware; she had been trying to reach out to Regina while under the Dark One's influence.

Regina pressed a hand to the door. "Why was it better when we were together?"

There was only silence from the bedroom.

"You kept saying you needed to be near me, that it was the only thing that helped you. That was you talking, wasn't it? Not the Darkness. And you…you kept being disappointed when I didn't understand you." She pressed her ear to the door and could just make out an odd thumping sound. "Emma?" She shook the doorknob. "Emma!"

Regina grit her teeth as she ran back into the kitchen and snatched the keys from the counter—she knew Emma was heading out a window and she wasn't going to give her the chance to get too far by doubling back and stealing the car. She ran outside and around the back in enough time to clearly hear which direction Emma was racing through the woods; Regina swore and took off after her.

The burst of adrenaline got Emma farther than Regina had expected, but it wasn't long at all before the reality of her exhaustion overtook her; Regina found her leaning against a tree to stay upright. "Leave me alone, Regina!"

"Like hell." Regina could see Emma shaking, but whether it was from exhaustion or fear of the dark she couldn't say. "You get to feel whatever it is you're feeling, Emma, but you don't get to run away from me."

"I'm dangerous."

"No you're not."

Regina had to dodge something Emma threw in frustration. "Stop discounting everything I say! I already feel crazy enough. I _am_ dangerous, Regina. I have no idea what I'm capable of—no one goes through Dark One withdrawal, they just _die._ I could…I don't even _know_ what I could do to you, ok? I don't even know what day it is." Her voice broke, and she covered her face with her hands. But when Regina took a step towards her, Emma straightened up. "Don't. I'm so…I haven't felt like this since I woke up as the Dark One. You know I just sat in the woods? For days, I guess, not eating or sleeping or even moving, until I knew the days were cycling through, and that I was back in a normal realm. Because before that…before that…when I was becoming…"

Emma sagged against the tree, but did her best to hold out a hand to tell Regina to stay back.

"How long did you think you were gone?"

"Years."

"Oh." Regina leaned against a tree herself. "Oh, Emma."

"I thought I was back there, when I was in the hospital, and that the void was just making me think you were there, trying to give me something of comfort while it took me back. But you can't really be here, Regina. When I was the Dark One I was so…angry that the people I cared about didn't understand that I was trying to help them, that everything I was doing was for them. But everything I was doing hurt them. I hurt you, when that was the last thing I wanted to do."

"You _saved_ me," Regina hissed. "Why won't you remember that? The Darkness came for me, and if it had taken me instead of you I don't think there would be a person left in Storybrooke with their lives or their sanity left intact! You love so many people in that town. You had some vague notion, even when under the influence of the darkness, that certain people were worth protecting. Even if you went about it all wrong! Even if you were trying to control them or lay claim to them—your love for people, _Emma's_ love, ultimately saved them from the Dark One's power. But me?" Regina shook her head. "Dear god, Emma, they wouldn't have had that protection from me. Love for me is dangerous, you know that; I grew up that way. I can't even say now that I truly love _anyone_ except for Henry and…and…and _you."_

"You love me."

It was a statement, not a question, and said in the strangest tone. Regina looked at the woman in front of her clutching a tree in the dark, clad in flannel pajamas, and staring back at Regina with deep uncertainty.

"Yes, you idiot. Very, very much."

Emma slid down to the ground with a sigh and wrapped her arms around her legs; she muttered something too soft for Regina to hear.

"What?"

"I said what if that was just something else I did to you? Tricked you into feeling that way."

Regina nodded in understanding and knelt down on the ground in front of her. "I know you couldn't have done that because I felt it before all of this happened. If we're being honest..." She cleared her throat, still uncomfortable with the words. "Emma Swan, I have loved you for a long time."

Emma blinked at her, eyes wide, before throwing her arms around Regina's neck and holding her tight.

….

It took some time to work their way back to their makeshift home.

Emma felt stupid. She obviously hadn't been thinking clearly when she decided escaping out the window barefoot at night was the best course of action, especially when the only thing keeping her remotely sane had been the warm lights on at the house. She'd panicked, _panicked,_ when Regina had kissed her, so afraid that it was a lie, that it was something the Dark One had orchestrated.

…But it wasn't. Regina loved her.

Emma didn't speak as Regina drew her a bath, had no idea what words Regina was saying as she unbuttoned Emma's pajama shirt and helped lower her into the tub.

Regina loved her. It was real.

_It was real._

But the words wouldn't come, and Emma continued her silence as her mind raced.

Being around Regina when she was the Dark One had been easier because it was the only time Emma didn't feel the strain from trying to resist the darkness; when it came to Regina, both Emma and the dark felt the same thing.

_Desire_.

She still had to tread lightly, and choose her words with great care, because if the darkness sensed Emma's resistance it would silence it with pain and the fearful shadows that danced just outside of her vision, always ready to worm their way deeper into her heart to sow hatred and doubt about her loved ones, her tethers to this realm and her own sanity. Emma fought to keep control at the same time she yearned for Regina to comfort her; she had to say things the Dark One wouldn't question, but that Regina would reject with all of her might.

One step forward, two steps back. The illusion of moving forward for the Dark One, while Emma pushed for her own destruction to keep everyone safe.

She was exhausted.

Emma took a breath and sank under the water, reveling in the penetrating heat for almost a full minute before surfacing.

It was the same with Henry—both Emma and the dark needed to get to him for different reasons, Emma to protect him, and the darkness to neutralize him and the threat of his power. Probably the most "real" thing Emma had uttered to Regina as the Dark One had been early on, when she'd first brought Regina to her in the woods: _I need you to understand, so that we can get our son and my parents and go home. I don't want to be here._

She'd been so hurt when Regina had thrown the dagger to Maleficent, but at the same time so proud. She had kissed Regina, in the dungeon…she told her it was a promise, and it was. It was a promise that Emma was in there, that she trusted Regina more than anyone in any realm, and that she loved her no matter what Regina would have to do.

The bath was beginning to lose its warmth.

Emma's thoughts drifted to Killian; had she betrayed him by loving her best friend more than she thought? More than she could admit? She felt guilty as her thoughts brought her to the same conclusion, over and over:

_No._

A person's true nature was revealed in times of need, and while Regina and Ruby and Lily and Granny and her own _son_ had shown the ferocity of love held in their hearts, Killian had revealed his heroic acts to be just that-an act. She felt weary as she remembered how easy it was to manipulate him, how eager he was to justify any terrible act they did by claiming it showed his love and devotion to her—to hell with anyone else.

Killian broke the Dark One out of containment. He helped her kidnap her baby brother.

There was a gentle knock on the bathroom door before it opened; Regina stood in the doorway with a pair of sweatpants in her hand. "Freshly warmed by the fire," she said. "Why don't you join me when you're done?"

Emma nodded.

She spent the evening cycling through similar thoughts, still wordless, but held against Regina while the other woman read a paperback she'd found. Regina didn't push her. She didn't do anything but hold her, and stroke her hair, and occasionally kiss the top of her head as Emma's thoughts tumbled, and tumbled, and tumbled around.

And when it was time for bed, and Regina said she would sleep on the couch, Emma took her hand instead and led her into the bedroom.

"Emma, are you sure? I don't want to overwhelm you or…"

Emma reached up and cupped Regina's cheek. "Kiss me again."

Regina blinked. "I…"

"Please."

The brunette studied her, her eyes darting back and forth, seeking assurance; she must have found it, because then she was leaning forward to place a chaste and gentle kiss on Emma's lips.

After a moment, Emma pulled back with a soft sigh; she bit her lip and looked into Regina's worried eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "But…I love you."

It wasn't what you were supposed to say; Emma knew that much. What exactly she was apologizing for escaped her, but it expressed what she felt. And ultimately, that didn't matter, because to her aching heart's relief, Regina was looking back at her with understanding.

Regina wrapped her arms around her and drew Emma tightly against her. "I'm sorry too, Emma. I'm so, so sorry."

Relief was expressed in kisses, in touch, in actions, as things grew more heated and both women became desperate to reassure. Regina stilled Emma's hands only once, asking if she was sure.

"I'm tired of words, Regina. They can be lies. But…" She reached her hand into dark locks of hair; Regina closed her eyes and placed light kisses along Emma's arm. "You know me. I know you do, better than I know myself." She planted a hungry kiss on her lips. "So show me. Please."

…..

They took their time.

Fingers and lips traced extensive paths, as if to assure each other than they were really there, they were together, they were safe. They filled the room with soft gasps and quiet moans as they came together, leaving their baggage and burdens and should we's and shouldn't we's outside in order to touch and taste, to fill and be filled, to allow soft spots to appear in the armor that neither of them ever took off.

Questions would remain unanswered. Guilt would stay unaddressed. But they each had enough of that for a lifetime. In a cabin in the Maine woods, they allowed themselves sanctuary.

They took refuge in each other.

And they allowed themselves to be loved.


	17. Epilogue

 

"Come in." Maleficent swiveled around in her chair to see her daughter enter the mayoral office; Lily was holding up a file folder, triumphant.

"One insufferable sea-faring disaster of a human being transferred to a cell in the basement of the hospital," she announced, dropping the folder onto her mother's desk. "Finally."

Mal quirked an eyebrow at her. "Don't hold back, darling."

"Well, with everything else more or less settled now we could give Jones the proper attention. Thanks for the silencing potion, by the way."

Maleficent shrugged. "It seemed a fair compromise between those who would give him rights he hasn't earned and those who would run his head through a wall."

Lily gave a huff as she crossed her arms. "I'd rather fly him out over the ocean and incinerate him with a breath."

"Well now he can shout and pout all he wants to without the rest of us having to suffer. We'll deal with him when everyone…when Storybrooke is complete again."

"It's been a long time, Mom," Lily said quietly.

Maleficent leaned back in her chair. She realized at this point even the sugar-coated Charmings were losing faith in their own hope speeches, but she knew Regina too well to ever give up herself. She knew how strongly Regina could love; she also knew how Regina felt about Emma Swan. "I know. Who's on watch duty at the town line this afternoon?"

"I am. I just wanted to bring you the good news about the pirate first."

Mal nodded. "Do you have the satchel?"

Lily held it up: it contained two enchanted leather cuffs, designed to restrict the magic powers of the wearer. Whenever Regina and Emma did return, Storybrooke wouldn't be threatened by their combined powers when they let them in, although in the best case scenario the bands would only serve to protect Emma from herself.

"All right then. I'll see you at home later."

"You're really good at this, you know."

Maleficent looked up at her daughter, surprised. "What?"

Lily gestured around the office. "At all of this. Taking care of everyone in a crisis. You should talk to Regina about staying on at City Hall in some way when she comes back."

Mal blinked back tears and said a soft, "Thank you." But before she could tell her daughter how proud she was of her, of how she'd stepped into the hero role quite well herself, Lily was out the door and on duty.

* * *

 

The surrounding woods were filled with the sounds of birds, of rustling leaves, of signs of peace. A cool breeze swirled through the open windows, carrying the crisp scent of Maine.

"We can turn around," Regina murmured.

"No."

They sat in Regina's car around the bend from the town line. Regina studied Emma in the passenger's seat; she looked pale but determined, and much better than she'd been in a long time. She was going to stay at the mansion with Regina, who didn't want her out of her sight. Regina had waved away Emma's concerns about the damage done to the guest room; if it wasn't fixed already, a little magic would take quick care of it, and besides…no one was going to be sleeping in there anyway.

"What about Henry?" Emma had asked, afraid of heaping more pain upon the son she'd already hurt so much.

And Regina had thought back to several conversations with Henry, including one they'd had while looking for the Dark One: _Mom turned dark for love. She never wanted the power, she just didn't want it to hurt you. She loves you. You know that, right? That we all love each other, even if you guys don't say it?_ And Regina had been able to tell her with confidence, "I think Henry will surprise you with how much he understands."

It would be a battle, keeping Mary Margaret from insisting their over-crowded loft was somehow a "better" place for Emma to feel safe, but Regina was prepared. After everything else they'd been through, Emma's parents were not going to keep them apart.

Regina tilted Emma's chin so she had to face her. "I'm going to protect you."

Emma swallowed at the ferocity that burned in Regina's eyes, all for her. "I know."

"And I'm not going to let this car be seen until you're ready. Mal will have someone watching the town line, and…things will happen quickly after that."

"What if they don't let us in?"

"They will."

Emma pressed a hand to her eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't think I'll ever be ready to face them but…but it's time."

Regina closed her eyes in silent agreement and started the car. "I love you."

Emma gave a quiet laugh. "And I'll wonder why for the rest of my life."

"You wonder all you like, Emma Swan," Regina said, her voice thick with emotion. "You just promise me you won't try to run out of my life again."

Emma leaned in and kissed her, bringing up a hand to cup Regina's cheek. "I promise."

Regina nodded and put the car in gear; she drove well under the speed limit around the last turn in the little patch of highway that led to their hidden town. She could feel Emma growing tense beside her, but she drove on. She parked just in front of where the town line would be.

Before she could get out, Emma grabbed her hand. "I love you too, Regina. Always."

Regina smiled and kissed the hand she held. Then she took a breath and grabbed the handle of the car door.

She stepped out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the kind words you have left me on this tale. It took a lot longer to finish than I'd hoped but dammit I was going to finish come hell or high water lol. Please leave a comment with your thoughts, and thanks for reading. xox--DHD


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